Belarus forces have begun military drills near its border with NATO members Poland and Lithuania, as tensions intensify between the two countries over the presence of Wagner PMC troops there.

Wagner relocated to Belarus following a failed mutiny attempt in Russia in June. While Belarusian authorities announced that the group would assist in training their armed forces, they have denied any intentions of the Wagner fighters planning an incursion into Poland.

Last week, Lithuania and Poland claimed that some 4,000 members of the paramilitary group were stationed in Belarus, which was followed by reports that the allies are considering the complete shutdown of borders with their neighbor.

Both NATO countries stated in early August that they are bracing for alleged "provocations" from Moscow and Minsk in a critical location where both countries border Belarus as well as the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.

The Belarusian Defense Ministry indicated that the exercises that were launched on Monday are based on experiences from Russia's special military operation and include the "use of drones as well as the close interaction of tank and motorized rifle units with units of other branches of the armed forces."

The drills are taking place in Belarus' Grodno area, in the Suwalki Gap that runs 96 kilometers (60 miles) along the Polish-Lithuanian border and connects Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to the rest of NATO and separates Belarus from Kaliningrad.

Western military analysts have long seen the Suwalki Gap as a potential powder keg region in any conflict between Russia and NATO.

Read more: Lithuania to close two border crossings with Belarus over Wagner fears