Officials report that the Belarusian relays stopped transmitting from June 22. Kyiv says it is monitoring the situation and seeking clarity on whether Minsk removed the equipment.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that the repeaters in Belarus that helped Russian drones hit Ukraine stopped operating as of June 22. He made the comment during a conversation with journalists.
According to the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi and the intelligence services, the repeaters indeed ceased operations from that date. It is currently unknown whether they were dismantled.
Whether they’ve been dismantled or not, to be honest I don’t know yet, but we are working on it and I am closely monitoring and receiving daily briefings. The fact is – the repeaters are not working today
– Volodymyr Zelensky
The role of the repeaters and the threat context
The repeaters in the Belarusian direction, according to Zelensky, are located near the border in two regions of Belarus and allegedly helped Russia adjust its fire on Ukrainian civilians. Earlier the head of state noted that the self-proclaimed Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko could have resolved this issue, but the specific actions remain with Minsk.
Context of threats from Belarus
In April Zelensky spoke about building roads and artillery positions in the border regions of Belarus and establishing military infrastructure near the Ukrainian border. In early May the president mentioned “specific activity” by the neighboring country on the border. Intelligence warned about the possibility of Belarus being drawn into new aggressive operations – either against Ukraine or against NATO.
At the end of spring and at the beginning of summer Russian drones attacked Chernihiv region along different routes, not along the Ukraine-Belarus border, which indicates changes in coordination of actions between Moscow and Minsk.
In the context of growing threats, Lukashenko stated readiness to explain his previous statements and assured that there is no military threat from Minsk.
Next steps and developments
Changes on the borders and the overall situation from Belarus remain under close monitoring by Ukrainian security services. Official data indicate dynamics of events in the region and possible strengthening of defenses along the border with the neighboring country.