Russia begins military drills with Belarus
Russia and Belarus have started 10 days of joint military drills.
30,000 troops will for the next ten days be engaged in war games or as Russia is describing them - military exercises and drills - in Belarus.
It will further ramp up the tension for neighbouring Ukraine which has been on high alert for many weeks. A Kremlin spokesman said the joint drills were serious but he pointed out the nature of threats was higher than before. Speaking at a news conference, spokesman for the US Department of Defense, John Kirby, said President Putin was continuing to destabilise an already tense situation.
The drills come as all three Baltic Prime Ministers, from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are visiting Berlin today for talks amid rising tension over Ukraine and the belief by some that Russia may be about to invade the country. Newsday spoke to Kristo Enn Vaga - a personal adviser to the Defence Minister in Estonia.
Photo: Serviceman operate the S-400 defence system, sent by Russia, at the Brestsky training ground ahead of the Allied Resolve - 2022 joint military exercise near Brest, Belarus. Credit: Russian Defense Ministry / Handout / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
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