Interesting update on the move of Russian forces into Belarus:
A joint Belarus-Russian troop grouping "has begun the task of protecting the Union state", says Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin, amid concerns in the West that it may be used as a launchpad for an offensive against Ukraine.
But Khrenin is quoted as saying that "we are not going to attack anyone" and that the force's aims are "purely defensive".
He did not specify how many troops are in the grouping, or where it has been deployed, but Minsk earlier said that just under 9,000 Russian soldiers would be sent to Ukraine's northern neighbour.
Belarus has been a key Russian ally since the start of Moscow's invasion on 24 February. Russia's failed offensive on Ukraine's capital Kyiv was launched from Belarusian soil.
Ukraine's military says it is monitoring all the latest developments in Belarus, and its troops are prepared for any eventualities.
While the assertions that Belarus won't "attack anyone" are slightly reassuring, the total of 9,000 Russian soldiers in Belarus is a large number given Russia's operational challenges in Ukraine. Perhaps some of the 300,000 poorly-trained conscripts are going to Belarus as part of this so-called defensive force?