Lukashenko says Belarus army must prevent any attack on Russia from the rear

March 10 (Reuters) – Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko told his defence ministry on Thursday that the Belarus army must prevent any attack on Russian forces from the rear, the state news agency BelTa said.

Russia used its ally Belarus as one of the launchpads for its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. Lukashenko was quoted as telling defence chiefs that they must prevent any attempt – presumably by Ukrainian forces – to cut off Russian supply lines and “strike at Russians from the rear”.

A file photo of a Belarusian Army T-72 tank overrides a car during the Tank biathlon-2018 competition at Stalin’s Line museum in the village of Goroshki, some 30 kilometers from Minsk, Belarus. EPA-EFE/TATYANA ZENKOVICH