Ukraine Denies Bolstering Troops Near Belarus

Ukraine's border guard dismissed on Monday reports suggesting it was reinforcing its troop deployments along the border with Belarus, saying they amounted to an "information operation" by Minsk with Moscow's support.

Belarus, a close Russian ally that has provided support for Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine, said last week that Kyiv was bolstering its forces along the countries' shared border. The Kremlin on Monday said the report was a cause of concern.

"It is not the first time Belarus offers information about Ukraine presenting a threat and strengthening itself... This is another part of the information operation conducted by Belarus with support by Russia," border guard spokesman Andriy Demchenko told Ukrainian national TV.

The border area with Belarus remains "threatening" and Ukraine maintains the necessary number of forces there to prevent any provocations, he added.