Troops into Belarus and air defence pledges: Ukraine in mid-October 2022
A look back at the diplomatic and military warnings that preceded 17 October 2022, from Belarus troop movements to French air defence promises.
What was Ukraine's government warning about in the days leading up to 17 October 2022? The reports from the preceding week pointed to two linked concerns: a possible new threat from the north and the search for stronger air defences.
On 11 October 2022, thousands of Russian troops entered Belarus by the trainload, as reported at the time. The same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned G7 nations that Russia was planning another offensive against Kyiv, with direct Belarusian involvement. The troop movements came a day after Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko accused Ukraine of planning to launch an attack on his country.
On 12 October 2022, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would send radar and air defence systems to Ukraine in the coming weeks.
Taken together, the reports from 11 and 12 October 2022 set out the backdrop to 17 October 2022: Kyiv was alerting its partners to a possible attack involving Belarus, while foreign aid for its air defences was being announced.
