Zelensky sees new Russian attack threat from Belarus

Russia is increasingly using positions in Belarus for its attacks on Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said after a meeting of the entire military leadership on Friday.

This applied to both drone and missile attacks, he wrote on Facebook, posting that with this new tactic Russia was trying to bypass Ukraine’s defensive lines.

"This is risky for Belarus," he wrote. "It is a pity that Belarus is surrendering its sovereignty to the benefit of Russian aggressive ambitions."

He said a proactive defence against this new direction of attack was difficult because Russia had installed all the equipment for the strikes on residential buildings.

Antennas and other guidance systems for attacks on targets in Ukraine were now effectively on the roofs of five-storey civilian apartment blocks, he said, citing Ukrainian intelligence.

"This is an absolute disregard for human life, Minsk should stop playing these games." He said Ukraine’s air defence had been instructed to adjust its strategy.

At the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Belarus provided its territory as a springboard for the ultimately failed advance on Kyiv.
Belarusian troops are not actively involved in the fighting, but the potential threat ties down substantial Ukrainian forces on the common border.