MINSK, November 5. /TASS/. The expansion of NATO’s military presence near the borders of the Belarus-Russia Union State, along with the alliance’s rising military expenditures, suggests that the US-led bloc is effectively preparing for armed confrontation with Belarus and Russia, Deputy Chief of the Belarusian General Staff Major General Vladimir Kupriyanyuk said on Tuesday.

"One thing is clear: the collective West has recognized its inability to carry out a coup d'etat in either Belarus or Russia, or to secure a victory for the Kiev regime on the battlefield," Kupriyanyuk stated in an interview with the Belarusian Army Newspaper.

"This is why the US-led NATO bloc is, in fact, already preparing for open armed confrontation with the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation," he emphasized.

According to Kupriyanyuk, "the collective West continues to demonstrate an increase in the intensity of activities aimed at early preparations for military action."

"The primary focus is on boosting defense spending, enhancing troop strike and offensive capabilities, and expanding the military presence near the borders of the Union State," he added.

The senior official also noted that by "rapidly enhancing its military capabilities, the collective West is bolstering the presence of coalition forces on the western borders of the Union State."

As of now, "significant groups of troops, equipped with modern weaponry and capable of executing precision strikes against targets in Belarus and western Russia," are already deployed in Eastern Europe, including in Poland and the Baltic States, Kupriyanyuk said.

He also pointed out that "the US Air Force’s strategic bomber aircraft is being used to conduct relevant training missions, while NATO reconnaissance aircraft have averaged 30-40 missions per week this year."