NATO Deploys Over 30,000 Troops and 1,000 Armored Vehicles Near Russia-Belarus Borders

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has claimed that more than 30,000 NATO troops and over 1,000 armored vehicles have been deployed to the borders of Russia and Belarus.

Lukashenko's remarks were reported by the Telegram channel "Pool of the First."

“In the immediate vicinity of Belarus and Russia, about 32,000 military personnel of the joint armed forces of NATO and the United States are stationed. This includes more than a thousand armored vehicles, about 160 artillery systems and mortars, 235 aircraft and helicopters,” stated Lukashenko during a meeting with the leadership of government bodies of the national security system.

Lukashenko expressed his view that the region is in the midst of a major military-political crisis utilizing historical methods of intimidation. He anticipates increased activities from the collective West and the expansion of NATO, drawing in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Georgia, and Serbia.

Lukashenko set a task for the Ministry of Defense in 2024 to transform the army and improve the country’s defense system, emphasizing priority attention to the combat training of military units.

Separately, NATO commenced its largest exercise in decades, Steadfast Defender 2024, at the end of January. The exercises, taking place in the Baltic countries, Poland, and Germany until May, involve approximately 90,000 military personnel, 50 warships, 80 aircraft, and 1.1 thousand units of ground equipment, including 133 tanks. The head of the alliance’s military committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, stated that the purpose of the exercises is "to prepare for a conflict with Russia."

The Kremlin maintains that Russia does not pose a threat to NATO countries but will respond to actions potentially dangerous to its interests. Russia remains open to dialogue on an equal basis and calls for a reconsideration of the West's course towards the militarization of the continent.