US says no sign Belarusian forces are fighting alongside Russia in Ukraine

WASHINGTON — The United States has not seen evidence that troops from close Russian ally Belarus are in Ukraine, the Pentagon says.

“We haven’t seen any indications that Belarusian troops or forces have moved inside Ukraine,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby tells reporters.

“We’re not tracking any imminent involvement by Belarusian forces,” Kirby says. “That’s not to say that it couldn’t happen or that it wouldn’t happen.”

The Pentagon spokesman says the United States has noted comments by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko that his country’s forces would “come to the defense of the rear of Russian forces should they be attacked.”

“That’s the first time that he’s ever said anything about Belarus perhaps getting involved,” Kirby says, but there are “no indications at this time that they have or that that’s in the offing.”

A senior US defense official said earlier that Russian forces have launched more than 80 missiles into Ukraine from Belarus.

That represents about 10 percent of the more than 800 Russian missiles fired into Ukraine since the invasion began, the official said.

Russian troops have fired nearly 400 missiles from inside Ukraine while just under half have been fired from Russia, the official said.