Security risk? Two Russian soldiers died during training at the Polish border – Topky.sk

According to a statement by the Russian Ministry of Defense, this is an unannounced inspection of the air force’s combat readiness, in which a unit of Russian paratroopers will land at an unknown location in the Hrodnian region in western Belarus. The Russian ministry added that the deployed unit would participate in a joint tactical exercise with units of the Belarusian Armed Forces. It also clarified that after the landing and completion of tasks, the Russian paratroopers would return to their base in Russia.

According to the Belarusian Ministry of Defense, exercise is the standard situation. Russian troops are to land at Gozhsky training ground to check “one of the components of the federal intervention forces” Russia and Belarus, TASS reported. The joint Russian-Belarusian exercise is taking place at a time when the situation on the border between Poland and Belarus is exacerbated, where several thousand migrants from the Middle East are stranded on the Belarusian side and want to enter the European Union.

Source: SITA / Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP

Poland deployed thousands of troops on the border with Belarus, built a razor wire fence and declared a state of emergency in the border area.

Source: SITA / State Border Committee of the Republic of Belarus via AP / Leonid Shcheglov / BelTA via AP, File

Russia’s move near the border with Ukraine is quite worrying

The European Union said on Friday that it was concerned about the activities of the Russian army near the border with Ukraine. The EU said this after Washington asked Moscow to explain the movements at the border, the AFP news agency reported.

“We are still monitoring the situation and the information we have gathered so far is quite disturbing,” EU diplomacy spokesman Peter Stano told reporters. He said the 27-nation Union was monitoring the situation with partners, including the United States and Britain. “We are open to considering next steps if necessary.” Stano added. On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Russia of another “serious mistake” against Ukraine, while Washington also demanded an explanation for the transfer of troops near the Ukrainian border.

Source: SITA – (Olivier Douliery / Pool via AP)

The head of American diplomacy Blinken said in a welcome to a Ukrainian colleague in Washington that the USA is “Concerned by reports of unusual Russian activity near Ukraine”. “We are not clear about Moscow’s intentions, but we know its style well,” Blinken said at a joint news conference. “We are worried that Russia may make a serious mistake and try something similar to 2014, when it gathered armed forces along the border, entered independent Ukrainian territory and still falsely claimed that it was a provoked step,” Blinken added.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Russia’s moves were “unusual in its scope and quantity”. He added: “It is not clear what Russia’s intentions are.” Ukraine has been involved in a bloody war with Moscow-backed separatists in the east of its territory since 2014, when Russia occupied the Crimean Peninsula.

Belgian fighters intercepted Russian bombers in the NATO area over the North Sea

Belgian F-16 fighters intercepted two Russian strategic bombers on Friday, which penetrated into the airspace of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) over the North Sea, the Dutch Ministry of Defense announced. The information was provided by the Reuters news agency. The aircraft, identified by the Ministry as supersonic bombers Tu-160 “Blackjack”, were then further accompanied by the British Air Force.

“Russian military aircraft occasionally enter NATO airspace without identifying themselves,” the Dutch ministry said in a statement. “The fighters followed the Russians until the British Air Force took over the procession,” complements the ministry.

NATO aircraft will be ordered to take off from the Netherlands or Belgium whenever a machine enters or directly near Dutch airspace without establishing a radio link, according to a ministry quoted by Reuters.

Two Russian paratroopers were killed during an exercise in Belarus

Two Russian paratroopers died on Friday during military exercises with Belarus near its western border with Poland, when parachutes failed in strong winds. The Russian Ministry of Defense informed about it. The report was provided by TASS and AFP.

“Despite the efforts of doctors, both Russian soldiers died as a result of the injuries,” The ministry said in a statement published by the Russian news agency. One of the victims allegedly tried to save the other with a backup parachute. Belarus and its ally Russia conducted a joint military exercise near the western border with Poland on Friday, which brought together a number of migrants and asylum seekers, mostly from the Middle East.

The Belarusian Ministry of Defense stated that “Joint Tactical Group” composed of paratroopers from both countries organized an exercise at the Gozhsky training ground in western Belarus. The force department claims that the action took place because of “accumulation of military activity” near the border.