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Belarus strengthens border with Ukraine — border service

There are plans to continue equipping the state border with modern signaling complexes, video surveillance systems, providing border guard units with modern vehicles, motor boats and other equipment

© ITAR-TASS/Artyom Geodakyan

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Lukashenko says there will be no intervention to Ukraine from Belarus

MINSK, August 20. /TASS/. Work is in progress in Belarus on strengthening the security of the Ukrainian sector of the state border to counter the penetration of criminals from the adjacent territory, spokesman for the Belarusian State Border Committee Alexander Tischenko told TASS on Thursday.

"These measures will be directed not against Ukraine as a country but against the criminal elements and schemes that emerged due to the difficult socio-economic situation in the neighboring country," he said.

According to Tischenko, the process of strengthening the border with Ukraine has been underway for more than a year. During this period of time, the number of border control units in the Ukrainian sector has grown, he said. In particular, the Mozyr border detachment was formed last year.

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He noted that there were plans to continue to equip the state border with "modern signaling complexes, video surveillance systems, providing border guard units with modern vehicles, motor boats and other equipment." "We will do everything possible to ensure that border patrol units act promptly and efficiently, if necessary," Tischenko said. "In the event of any serious situations additional resources for the work of mobile border outposts may be mobilized," he added.

On August 18, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said, while receiving Acting Security Council State Secretary Stanislav Zas, that Belarus "did not conceal the fact that it had to strengthen its southern borders." "That’s not because we are afraid of Ukrainians or are afraid that somebody may attack us. We apprehend that as a result of what is happening in Ukraine, all sorts of [criminal] elements that Belarus does not need and particularly weapons may penetrate into the country," the Belarusian president said.

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