Russian Soldiers Abandon Thousands Of Ammo, Grenades, Grenade Launcher And Mines Near Belarus

Members of the Russian military have left a cache of weapons and ammunition near the border with Belarus, according to Ukrainian officials.

The abandoned cache, which was found by Ukrainian border guards and national police officers, contained at least 1,600 cartridges, anti-tank grenades, an under barrel grenade launcher and anti-tank mines with detonators. Additionally, the box also contained pieces of clothing belonging to the Russian Armed Forces, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing the Ukrainian officials.

The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine said the cache was given to the Ukrainian Armed Forces after it was checked for suitability, the report said.

It was not immediately clear why the Russian military left the weapons cache near Ukraine's border with Belarus.

The discovery of the cache comes as the war in Ukraine stretches into its sixth month. Since the beginning of the invasion, Belarus has sided with Moscow, with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko allowing Moscow's military to use his country's territory to wage the war.

As recently as July, Russian forces also fired missiles into the Chernihiv region in northern Ukraine from Belarusian territory.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (UAF) earlier said that Russia was expected to deploy additional military personnel and equipment on the territory of Belarus, specifically in locations bordering the Ukrainian provinces of Volyn and Pollisia.

"The information available indicates that the Russian Federation is deploying additional armed forces and air defense equipment on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, on the Volyn and Polissia fronts," the UAF General Staff said in a report posted on Facebook.

Also, the Belarusian Air Force and Air Defense Forces are expected to conduct military exercises, including combat shooting, in August in both Belarus and on the training grounds of the Russian Aerospace Forces.

Soldiers from Belarus' aviation, air defense, radio engineering and combat formations units will take part in the exercises, which aim to increase the coordination between troops, according to the Telegram channel of the Ministry of Defense of Belarus.

Belarus, a landlocked country of 9 million people, was once part of the Soviet Union and only became independent in 1991 following the collapse of the USSR. It has since maintained close political ties with Russia.