MINSK, May 26. /TASS/. Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said that increasing tensions with Belarus are prompted by NATO's early preparations to launch hostilities and demand that measures be taken in response.
"Conditions are created for unconditional military domination over Belarus. All the aforementioned (NATO drills in close proximity to Belarus, ramping up of weaponry — TASS) is nothing but measures of early preparations to engage in hostilities. These actions are concerning for us and demand that measures be taken in response," he said on Wednesday when speaking at the parliament where the Belarusian president is meeting with lawmakers and other officials.
Khrenin underlined that the demonstrative flights of US strategic bombers in the airspace of states neighboring Belarus that had been ramped up lately is concerning as well. "Three such flights were recorded in the last week alone, just 30 km away from our state border. We can suppose that missile and bomb strikes on Belarusian facilities are trained during them," the minister clarified. "Our neighbors continue to improve military infrastructure to receive and accommodate troops of NATO's forward presence." He added that five airstrips had already been modernized to base up to 200 military aircraft, while seven more are being improved now.
Moreover, the minister said that naval bases and ports are also actively upgraded, which improves their capabilities to receive the alliance's landing and attack ships, while new units of land troops are being formed in direct proximity to the Belarusian border.