Overview
- President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told reporters on Friday that Belarus must remove or switch off signal relay stations in two border regions within one week or Ukraine will take action itself.
- Zelenskiy said the relay systems are being used by Russian forces to help steer drone and missile attacks against Ukrainian civilians, and he linked the equipment to daily civilian casualties.
- Major outlets reported Zelenskiy’s technical claims but said they could not independently verify that the Belarusian equipment was being used to guide Russian strikes.
- Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has denied plans to enter the war and recently apologized for harsh comments toward Zelenskiy, while Minsk has demanded explanations after Russia accused Ukraine of a drone strike on a bus carrying Belarusian children, an attack Kyiv denies.
- The ultimatum builds on a longer pattern since 2022 of Belarus supporting Russian operations through territory access, logistics and alleged fuel supplies, which could broaden the conflict and further endanger civilians near the border.