Belarus says it will inspect armed forces to ensure ‘combat readiness’

Announcement comes a day after Minsk said it was sending troops to Ukraine border

Belarus has said it is about to begin an inspection of its armed forces to ensure they were combat ready.

The statement came a day after Minsk said it had ordered its soldiers to deploy with Russian forces near Ukraine in response to what it said was a clear threat from Kyiv and its allies in the West.

President Alexander Lukashenko has in recent months repeatedly claimed that Ukraine is preparing to attack Belarus, though he has offered no evidence.