Summary of Ukraine-Russia War, 25 August 2024

Detail: The Ukrainian government has warned that, according to information from intelligence services, the Belarusian armed forces are concentrating large numbers of troops and weapons in the Gomel region near the northern Ukrainian border under the cover of military maneuvers.

The presence of mercenaries from the Russian Wagner Group has also been recorded, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “We warn the Belarusian authorities not to make tragic mistakes for their country under pressure from Moscow and We urge the Belarusian Armed Forces to refrain from hostile actions and retreat at a distance from the Ukrainian border greater than the range of its weapons systems,” the ministry said.

In addition, Kiev warned that the maneuvers that Belarus is allegedly conducting near the Chernobyl nuclear plant threaten the national security of Ukraine and global security in general. If the Minsk troops violate the state borders of Ukraine, Kiev “will take all necessary measures to exercise the right to self-defense guaranteed by the UN Charter,” the statement stressed.
In that case, all troop concentrations, military facilities and supply routes within Belarus would become legitimate targets for the Ukrainian armed forces, he concluded.