MINSK, Nov 29 - RIA Novosti. NATO member countries are increasing the offensive potential of the armed forces near the borders of Belarus, Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said on Monday.
"The results of the assessment (of the military-political situation – ed.) show that the measures taken by Western countries to militarize the region lead to a significant change in the balance of power. The offensive potential of the armed forces of the NATO member states is increasing near the borders of our country," Khrenin said at a meeting on military security with the participation of the president at the strategic management center of the Ministry of Defense. His words are quoted by the website of the President of Belarus.
The Belarusian minister drew attention to the fact that new military formations are being deployed in neighboring countries with Belarus, modern weapons are being purchased. Khrenin noted that the 18th Mechanized Division and the Territorial Defense Brigade are being formed in Poland.
"Some of them are in the immediate vicinity of our state border. Of particular concern are the purchases of Abrams tanks, Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems, Himars multiple launch rocket systems, F-35 combat aircraft equipped with cruise missiles," Khrenin said.
Poland has increased the number of security forces against the background of the appearance of a spontaneous 2,000-strong Middle Eastern refugee camp on the Belarusian-Polish border. The Ministry of Defense of Belarus stated that Poland's decision to concentrate 23,000 troops, tanks, air defense systems and other heavy weapons at the border with Belarus cannot be called an adequate response to the migration crisis. The ministry said that this is more like the creation of shock groups of troops. The head of the Belarusian Defense Ministry said earlier that the build-up of NATO forces at the borders of the republic and the strengthening of the military component of Poland can be regarded as "a set of measures to prepare for war." According to him, it seems that Poland wants to unleash a conflict by dragging the EU into it.
