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Ukraine urges Belarus to withdraw forces away from border and avoid 'tragic mistakes'

Ukrainian servicemen stand at a position close to the border with Belarus, Ukraine, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023.
Ukrainian servicemen stand at a position close to the border with Belarus, Ukraine, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. Copyright  Daniel Cole/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved
Copyright Daniel Cole/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved
By Euronews
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Any violation of Ukraine's state border by Belarus will be met by 'all necessary measures to exercise the right to self defense', Kiyv warns.

Belarus' Armed Forces are concentrating significant personnel and weaponry along Ukraine's northern border with Belarus, prompting Kyiv to issue an official warning.

On Sunday, Ukraine urged Minsk to withdraw forces away from the border to a distance greater than the firing range of Belarusian systems.

In its statement, Ukraine's foreign ministry said: "We warn that in case of a violation of Ukraine's state border by Belarus, our state will take all necessary measures to exercise the right to self-defence guaranteed by the UN Charter."

"Consequently, all troop concentrations, military facilities, and supply routes in Belarus will become legitimate targets for the Armed Forces of Ukraine," it added.

Kyiv also noted that some former Wagner PMC troops were seen in the area.

Ukraine and Belarus share a 1,084 km-long border.

According to Ukraine's statement, military exercises in the border area pose a "global security" threat due to how close the Chernobyl Nuclear Power plant — the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster.

Belarus had allowed Russian troops to use its territory as a launchpad for their full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

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