Belarus, Russia continue military drills north of Ukraine

Russian military exercises in Belarus scheduled to end on Sunday will continue, Minsk has announced, pointing to an increase in tensions along the Ukraine border.

Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin said Russian troops will not withdraw from the country as previously announced, reports Aljazeera.

Khrenin said the decision had been taken because of rising tensions in Ukraine’s disputed Donbass region and “in connection with the increase in military activity near the external borders” of Russia and Belarus.

The move further intensifies pressure on Ukraine as Western leaders and NATO warn of an imminent full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia.