Ukraine accused neighboring Belarus, a close ally of Russia, of massing troops along their common border and warned Minsk not to take "hostile actions", reported AFP, quoted by BTA.
Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that the buildup of troops is taking place in the Gomel region "under the guise of maneuvers".
"We warn the Belarusian authorities not to make a tragic mistake under pressure from Moscow, we call on the armed forces to stop their hostile actions and withdraw from the border of Ukraine," the ministry said in a statement.
Kiev also said it had established the presence of fighters of the armed group "Wagner", some of whom were sheltered in Belarus after the failure of the rebellion in Russia by the head of "Wagner". last year.
Ukraine has warned that military exercises in the border zone are a threat to global security because of its proximity to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, site of the largest nuclear accident in history.
"We emphasize that Ukraine has never taken and will never take hostile actions against the Belarusian people," the ministry added.
This statement was made after Ukraine launched an attack on Russia's Kursk region on August 6 and captured hundreds of square kilometers of territory. At the same time, Russia continues its offensive in Eastern Ukraine.
Belarus, politically and economically dependent on Russia, has been ruled by President Alexander Lukashenko since 1994. In 2022, the country allowed the deployment of Russian troops on its territory, under the pretext of participating in military exercises, before the invasion of Ukraine in February.