Fighters from Russia's ally join Ukraine: Belarusian battalion to fight for Kyiv, says report

Amid speculation that Russia might be preparing to move towards the end of its military campaign, Ukrainian forces received a fresh boost. Media outlet The Kyiv Independent claimed that a battalion of fighters from neighbouring Belarus had joined the Ukrainian military.

Interestingly, Belarus is a close ally of Russia, and was accused of being used a launching ground for Moscow's military assault on Ukraine.

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The Kyiv Independent posted a video on Twitter of Belarusian fighters purportedly taking an oath to join the Ukrainian forces. In the unverified video, the oath was taken in Belarusian language, which is endangered, as per the report.

The outlet claimed that Belarus' autocratic leader Alexander Lukashenko favours and promotes the Russian language. Lukashenko is considered a vassal of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Earlier, the Russian military claimed that its main objective was the liberation of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. This was seen as an effort by Moscow to save face after its military got bogged down in the face of stiff Ukrainian resistance.

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