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British Intelligence Calls Bullshit on Russian Troop Film

Belarusian authorities’ video showing the arrival of new Moscow forces isn’t exactly as it seems, U.K. defense officials say.

Claims of a major new fighting force building up in Belarus on Ukraine’s northern border are likely to be little more than a distraction tactic, according to British intelligence. Belarusian authorities last week released a clip purporting to show Russian troops arriving in Belarus the day after Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said 70,000 of his troops would join up with 15,000 Russian soldiers to form a new “Group of Forces.” On Friday, an intelligence briefing from the U.K.’s defense ministry said the announcement and its attendant video were likely to just be an attempt at distracting Ukrainian forces, saying “it is unlikely that Russia has actually deployed a significant number of extra troops into Belarus.” It added that the Belarusian military probably had “minimal capability to undertake complex operations” and that the announcement itself was likely an attempt to “convince Ukraine to divert forces to guard the northern border.”

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Dan Ladden-HallBreaking News Editor

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