Images have emerged of Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko standing in front of a battle map that appears to show a planned invasion of Moldova, along with Ukraine.
Mr. Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin was reportedly addressing his security council Tuesday while standing in front of a battle map of Ukraine.
The map appeared to show troop movement plans and infrastructure targets in Ukraine, as well as targets in Moldova’s breakaway region of Trans-Dniester.
Some of the Russian lines of attack in the map have already taken place. Others are yet to occur, including an incursion into Moldova , an ex-Soviet state and Ukraine’s neighbor to the south, from the port city of Odessa.
Earlier this year, Ukrainian military intelligence warned that Russia was planning false flag operations in Moldova as a pretext for military intervention in Trans-Dniester which is controlled by pro-Russian separatists, Al Jazeera reported.
Trans-Dniester declared independence from Moldova in 1990 over fears it would reunite with neighboring Romania. It has 1,500 troops which Russia calls peacekeepers stationed there. It is not internationally recognized, even by Russia.
Russia has already used Belarus as a location from which to send its troops quickly across the border into Ukraine, after insisting the large number of forces assembled there were for joint military drills.
Reports have emerged this week that Belarus is preparing to send troops into Ukraine in support of the Russian invasion.
The country’s close ties to Moscow in the attack prompted the U.S. State Department to suspend operations Monday at its embassy in Belarus.
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