On August 11 local time, the Belarus Defense Ministry announced that the Belarusese army is deploying tank units to the Ukrainian border.
The move comes after Belarus announced it had shot down a number of Ukrainian drones accused of violating its airspace.
In a statement on August 11, the Belarus Defense Ministry said that some mechanical forces had been placed in a state of alert and were preparing to transport tanks and other vehicles by rail to the gomel and Mozyr provinces on the Ukrainian border.
Officials also released a video showing several key Soviet-era battle tanks moving to railway stations. It is not yet clear to what extent Belarus' border forces will be strengthened or when the new forces will reach the deployment areas.
The redeployment comes after Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said the military had destroyed several Ukrainian drones violating airspace in the south of the country. He added that some drones had entered Russian territory and were shot down near Yaroslavl, about 300 km northeast of Moscow.
In the context of rising tensions between Ukraine and Belarus, President Lukashenko ordered to increase the presence of troops on the Ukrainian border.
Officials in Kiev said the increase was an effort to redirect Ukraine's attention and help Russia deal with the offensive in Kursk Oblast, while noting that military activity has not increased at the border.
The Belarus Foreign Ministry has warned Kiev that it has the right to take any necessary measures to protect its territory if the "provocation" of drones continues.
The Foreign Ministry also said that Minsk could consider closing the Ukrainian Embassy in this country if the incidents occur again.
