A senior Belarusian Defense Ministry official says Russian troops are expected to start entering the country soon to create "a regional military group" of the Russia-Belarus Union State.
The deputy chief of the Belarusian Armed Forces General Staff, Viktar Tumar, said in a statement on October 14 that "in the coming days," Russian troops that are part of the group will start arriving.
"To ensure a parity of military security and to support peace in the Republic of Belarus, a decision was made to create a regional military group on our territory. The armed forces of the Republic of Belarus and some military units of the Russian Federation will be the group's backbone," Tumar's statement says, without giving any details on the number of Russian troops expected to arrive in Belarus.
He added that the regional military group's goal is "purely of a defensive character."
Earlier in the day, Belarusian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka said that 70,000 Belarusian troops will be involved in the regional military group, adding that "10,000 to 15,000 Russian troops" will join the group.
Belarusian Foreign Minister Uladzimer Makey said his country is ready for "strict measures" in case Poland or any other nations bordering Belarus place nuclear weapons on their territories.
Earlier in October, Polish President Andrzej Duda said Warsaw had spoken to Washington about sharing nuclear weapons as Western nations confront Russia over its invasion of Ukraine that was launched in late February.
Russian forces have used Belarus as a staging post, sending troops and equipment into northern Ukraine from bases inside Belarus.