MINSK, October 14. /TASS/. The Russian troops that are part of a regional group of forces formed by Minsk and Moscow will start arriving in Belarus in the next few days, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Belarusian Armed Forces Colonel Viktor Tumar said on Friday.

"I believe it’s necessary to point out that Russian troops from the joint military force will start arriving in the Republic of Belarus in the coming days," he said, as cited by the Belarusian Defense Ministry’s press service.

Tumar specified that the joint military force was created to fortify the defense of the Belarusian border and reduce military activity in border areas. The deputy general staff chief added that a peacetime corps of the Belarusian forces would form the backbone of the group, which would also include some autonomous Russian units.

"The joint military force of the Union State is solely a defense project," Tumar emphasized. "Poland and the Baltic nations have been improving their military infrastructure, most notably by establishing new military facilities in the immediate vicinity of our border. They are assembling their forces in their border areas, which are equipped with advanced offensive weapons," he explained. These facts point to the growing security threat, highlighting the need to take immediate measures, the deputy general staff chief concluded.