Zelenskyy warns Russia may try to drag Belarus into war against Ukraine again
Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
Russia will attempt to draw Belarus into the war in Ukraine. According to intelligence, Minsk is already building roads toward Ukrainian territory and setting up artillery positions, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
He spoke about the results of a briefing by Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, during which the activity of Belarusian armed forces was discussed.
"We are also observing attempts by the occupying forces to regroup – most likely in order to compensate for a shortage of personnel. In this context, it is becoming increasingly clear why military activity in Belarus has increased," Zelenskyy said.
He added that, according to intelligence, road construction toward Ukraine and the development of artillery positions are underway in Belarus’ border areas.
"We believe that Russia may once again attempt to drag Belarus into its war. I have instructed that appropriate channels be used to warn the de facto leadership of Belarus about Ukraine’s readiness to defend its land and independence. The nature and consequences of recent events in Venezuela should serve as a warning to the Belarusian leadership against making mistakes," the President emphasized.
Several media outlets recently reported that Russia is planning to establish bases in Belarus for launching long-range drones, which would increase the threat to Ukraine.
In addition, Yurii Ihnat, head of Communications for Ukraine’s Air Force Command, said that Russia is using Belarus and several neighboring countries as transit routes for its attack drones targeting Ukraine.
It is also noted that Ukrainian hackers secretly monitored Russian drone operators for more than six months and gathered evidence of Belarus being used as a launch area for attacks on Ukraine.
RBC-Ukraine also reported that Zelenskyy hinted at operations aimed at destroying towers used to guide Shahed drones on Belarusian territory. According to the President, Ukraine has already done everything possible "so that three or four of them already no longer exist."
