Russia on Saturday sent long-range nuclear-capable bombers on patrol to its ally Belarus, amid rising tensions over Ukraine.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the two Tu-22M3 bombers conducted negotiation exercises with the Belarusian Air Force and air defense assets during the four-hour mission.
The flight followed several similar patrols over Belarus, which borders Ukraine to the north.
Reading: Ukraine-Russia crisis and growing fear of war: all you need to know
The mission came as the Kremlin moved troops from Siberia and the Far East to Belarus for extensive joint exercises. The deployment was added to Russian military formations near Ukraine, fueling Western fears of a possible invasion.
Russia has denied plans to attack its neighbor Ukraine, but has urged the US and its allies to provide a binding pledge that they do not accept Ukraine into NATO or deploy offensive weapons and Withdraw the deployment of the Coalition in Europe. Washington and NATO have rejected the demands.
The West has called on Russia to withdraw an estimated 100,000 troops from areas near Ukraine, but the Kremlin has responded by saying it will deploy troops wherever needed on Russian territory.
As tensions rise over Ukraine, the Russian military has launched a series of war games stretching from the Arctic to the Black Sea.
The deployment of Russian troops to Belarus raised concerns in the West that Moscow might attack Ukraine from the north.
The capital of Ukraine is just 75 kilometers (50 mi) from the border with Belarus.
In recent months, Russia has held a series of joint exercises with Belarus and has repeatedly fired its nuclear-capable long-range bombers on its neighboring country, which borders NATO members Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. Sent to patrol the skies.
Belarus’ authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko, who has relied on the Kremlin’s political and financial backing amid Western sanctions triggered by his crackdown on domestic protests, has called for closer defense ties with Moscow and more recently Russian nuclear weapons. Hosting is offered.
As fears of war grew, Ukrainian authorities began a series of exercises for civilians to prepare for a possible Russian invasion.
“I’m here to defend myself, protect my relatives and learn how to act in the situation,” said Kiev resident Ilya Goncharov after taking part in exercises on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital.
“I’m glad I’m here to learn the basics of self-defense and first aid.”
Amid the standoff over Ukraine, US President Joe Biden has ordered 2,000 US-based troops to be sent to Poland and Germany and another 1,000 from Germany to Romania in a demonstration of US commitment to the eastern side of NATO.
Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin has signaled Moscow’s readiness for further talks with Washington and its NATO allies.
French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Moscow and Kiev on Monday and Tuesday as part of high-level diplomacy to de-escalate tensions, while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will travel to Kiev and Moscow on February 14-15.
Amid tensions with the West, Putin attended the opening of the Winter Olympics in Beijing on Friday and met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to bolster the two countries’ alliance.
In a joint statement, Putin and Xi announced their opposition to any expansion of NATO, confirming that the island of Taiwan is a part of China.
Putin and Xi declared that relations between Moscow and Beijing are “better than the political and military alliances of the Cold War era” and that their friendship “knows no bounds.”