Some 30,000 Russian combat troops are expected to amass in Belarus in the coming weeks, NATO Secretary-General, Jens Stoltenberg, said on Thursday.

Mr Stoltenberg expressed concern about the build-up of Moscow’s military presence in Ukraine’s neighbourhood.

“This is the biggest Russian deployment there since the Cold War,’’ he said in Brussels following a meeting with North Macedonian Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski.

Involved were combat aircraft, nuclear-capable Iskander missiles, S-400 air defence systems and special units of the military intelligence agency GRU, according to the western defence alliance chief.

There are now well over 100,000 Russian troops near Ukraine, Mr Stoltenberg said.

Moscow was planning a military manoeuvre in Belarus, its close ally, in mid-February and has indicated fewer than 13,000 Russian soldiers would be involved.

Western allies fear that Moscow may be planning an incursion into Ukrainian territory, an accusation which Russia vehemently denies and in return accuses NATO countries of stoking tensions.

Among the various possibilities suspected by western intelligence sources would be for Russia to enter through Ukraine’s Donbas region, which was controlled by pro-Russian separatists.

Another was for Russia to invade from Belarus, the border of which extends close to the north of Kiev.

NATO countries have been moving more ships, aircraft and troops into the Baltics and Eastern Europe in recent weeks.

The United States announced on Wednesday that it would shift 3,000 troops around to countries near Ukraine, which aspires to join NATO.

(dpa/NAN)