Russia's air force held scheduled patrol flights at the borders of its ally Belarus on Thursday, Minsk said, as concerns remain that it could take a more active role in the Ukraine war.
Russia has deployed an enhanced task force of 9,000 troops and hundreds of pieces of military hardware to its neighbour after President Alexander Lukashenko said last week Belarus was at threat of attack from Ukraine.
"Right now, the Russian aviation component of the regional troop grouping is carrying out a scheduled patrol of the air borders of the Union State," Belarus' defence ministry said in a statement. The "Union State" is the name of a borderless customs-free zone between Russia and Belarus.
