Nato on high alert as Russia and Belarus launch major war games
Military drills heighten tensions, while France plans to send fighter jets to Poland - which says drone incursions were no mistake
The “Zapad” exercises also come as Russian forces grind across the sprawling front line in Ukraine and escalate aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Nato’s eastern flank members that border Belarus - Poland, Lithuania and Latvia - are on high alert over the drills, which Belarus says will be held near Borisov, a town east of the capital Minsk.
All three countries have ramped up security ahead of the exercises, with Poland ordering the complete closure of its border with Belarus for their duration.
On Friday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that the drone incursions were not a mistake by Russia, despite US President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the incident could have been accidental.
France said on Friday that it is deploying fighter jets to Poland and the UK announced fresh sanctions targeting Russia’s oil revenues and war machine as Europe’s first, measured steps to the incursions aimed to send a signal that any further aggression will not go unchecked.