INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The Russian military has withdrawn a regional task force from neighboring Belarus, Ukrainian border authorities and independent Belarusian
war monitors have said.Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenkoannounced in October 2022 the deployment of a joint regional group of
briefing, adding that current Russian troop numbers in Belarus pose no immediate threat of invading Ukraine from the north.Russian personnel
completely withdrew from Belarus in early July, while the entire aviation group followed in early August,according to the Belarusian war
monitoring project Belarussky Hajun.The war monitor listed 11 attack and transport helicopters as well as nine fighter jets among those that
had returned to their home airfields in Russia.Around 2,500 fighters for the Wagner mercenary outfit, which had agreed to be stationed in
although it officially remains a non-belligerent in the conflict.Like Russia, Belarus has been targeted by Western sanctions aimed at Russia
over its assault on Ukraine.
