By Luke Harding in Kyiv, Pjotr Sauer in Moscow, and Shaun Walker in Severodonetsk
Defence minister says troops will stay after end of joint exercises due to ‘escalation of situation’ in Donbas
Russian troops sent to Belarus for military exercises will remain in the country indefinitely, Belarus’s defence ministry has said, in a decision that will further fuel concerns Moscow is planning an imminent Ukraine invasion.
Belarus’s defence minister, Gen Viktor Khrenin, said Russian soldiers would stay after large-scale joint drills were completed on Sunday. He said the move was necessary because of the “escalation of the situation” in the Donbas, in the east of Ukraine.
Source: Russian troops will remain indefinitely, says Belarus, as fears rise of Ukraine invasion
Category: Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Europe, World news
