MINSK, January 23. /TASS/. Belarus’ leadership cannot ignore changes in the military political situation in the region stemming from NATO’s concentrating additional forces equipped with heavy weapons at the Belarusian border, the Belarusian ministry of defense said on Friday.

“Along with building up aviation component of NATO member countries in the Baltic republics tasked to protect air space, the alliance is consistently concentrating additional army contingents equipped with heavy weapons at the Belarusian border,” the ministry said.

“Regardless of geopolitical motives that guided our foreign partners in taking this decision, the Republic of Belarus has no right to ignore changes in the military political situation in the region fraught with extra risks, challenges and threats to military security of the state,” the ministry said, adding that the country’s military political leaders had taken due account of these aspects in the plan of training Belarusian troops in 2015.

The ministry said that the plan provided for drills in the republic’s border regions. It was also planned, according to the ministry, to enhance protection of the border by army units.