Russia extends military drills in Belarus, fueling Ukraine invasion fears
Ivana Saric
Russia will extend its military drills in Belarus past Sunday, when they were due to wind down, Belarus' defense ministry announced, according to Reuters.
Why it matters: Russia has been running joint military exercises with Belarus involving approximately 30,000 troops and sophisticated missile systems since Feb. 10.
U.S. officials believe Russia could use the drills in Belarus as a cover to attack Ukraine from the north.
State of play: The defense ministry said the drills had been extended due to "military activity near the borders of Russia and Belarus" as well as the situation in eastern Ukraine, which has seen increased shelling between Ukrainian and Russian-backed separatists in recent days, per Reuters.
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