Ukraine's allies and Belarus tensions in mid-October 2022
A look back at the warnings and pledges that shaped the days before 17 October 2022.
What was shaping Ukraine's security picture on 17 October 2022? The days leading up to that date brought a warning about Belarus and a new pledge of Western air defence.
On 11 October 2022, thousands of Russian troops entered Belarus by the "trainload", as reported at the time. 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 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".
Together, the reports from 11 and 12 October 2022 showed Kyiv pressing its partners over a possible threat from the north while receiving a fresh commitment of foreign military aid.
