On December 13, 2022, Belarus conducted an extraordinary check of the combat readiness of its troops. The British Ministry of Defense assessed the threat of an offensive by Belarusian and Russian troops in northern Ukraine.

Military exercises are reportedly taking place in northwestern Belarus, far from the Ukrainian border.. In addition, Russia recently deployed additional units of mobilized reservists to Belarus..

“Belarus played a key role in ensuring the Russian offensive on Kyiv on February 24, 2022. However, the Belarusian troops conducting the exercises and the Russian units are unlikely now to constitute a force capable of launching a new successful offensive into the north of Ukraine,"

Latest Defense Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 15 December 2022Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t. co/ahHyeaENBH? #StandWithUkraine? pic. twitter. com/zi2M1kstc2.

— Ministry of Defense? (@DefenceHQ) December 15, 2022.

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For Putin, Kyiv remains that coveted prize, the capture of which will make him feel like a winner in his global war against the West.. And in order to achieve this goal, he is ready to fight for at least a few years, despite the losses. Will there be a second offensive of Russian troops on Kyiv? Read about the plans of the Russian leadership and the place of Lukashenka and Belarus in them in the article by Vladimir Kravchenko “Putin wants Kyiv again: will there be an offensive from Belarus?