Belarus sending troops to Ukraine border over strike threat, says Lukashenko

Putin ally accuses Kyiv of planning Western-backed attack on Belarus

In an ominous development, Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko has ordered troops to deploy with Russian forces near Ukraine in response to what he claimed was a threat from Kyiv and its Western backers.

The longtime ally of Vladimir Putin said he was anticipating an attack that officials in Kyiv were being led to prepare against their neighbour to the north.

“Strikes on the territory of Belarus are not just being discussed in Ukraine today, but are also being planned,” Mr Lukashenko said at a meeting on security, without providing evidence for the assertion.