Belarus to send 200 troops to Syria alongside Russians

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV
Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) — Belarus is planning to deploy up to 200 troops to Syria to serve alongside Russian forces in the country. A draft agreement between Russia and its ally Belarus endorsed by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and released Monday states that the Belarusian troops will work to provide “humanitarian assistance” to the population outside combat zones. Russia has waged a military campaign in Syria since 2015, helping Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government reclaim control over most of the country after a devastating civil war. The planned deployment of Belarusian troops’ to Syria reflects increasingly close defense ties between the two ex-Soviet neighbors and allies.