Kiev, 21 October 2022 (dpa/MIA) - Ukraine's military has issued a direct appeal to the people of Russian-allied Belarus in which they ask them not to participate in the "dirty war" against their country. Issued on Friday in Kiev, the statement read, "we call on all citizens of Belarus not to obey the orders of your leadership to enter the war against Ukraine." Minsk seeks to drag the Belarusian people into the "dirty war," the statement said, urging citizens to make the "right choice" and stay out of it. However, if Belarus directly participates in the war, "we will respond," the Ukrainian military warned. Russia's recent deployment of thousands of soldiers and hundreds of armoured vehicles in neighbouring Belarus has fuelled new fears in Ukraine that Russian President Vladimir Putin may launch a new front in his war on Ukraine. In February, Russian forces marched into northern Ukraine from the city of Gomel in southern Belarus, not far from Kiev. Now, observers report increased military activity in the area.