Russia-Belarus begin joint military exercises, sparking fear in Kyiv of new offensive

Minsk says the air drills are defensive and it will not enter the war

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. File Picture: Konstantin Zavrazhin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

Russia and Belarus began joint military exercises on Monday, which have triggered fears in Kyiv and the West that Moscow could use its ally to launch a new ground offensive in Ukraine.

Russia used its neighbour Belarus as a springboard for its invasion of Ukraine last February.