Zelenskyy says Russia may again try to draw Belarus into war against Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday said Russia may once again attempt to involve Belarus in the war against Ukraine, citing intelligence reports that Belarus is developing access routes toward Ukrainian territory and preparing artillery positions near the border.

Speaking after receiving a report from Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian authorities are monitoring increased military activity involving Belarusian forces.

“We are recording attempts by the occupying contingent to regroup its forces, likely to compensate for a shortage of personnel. This makes it clearer why the armed forces have increased their activity in Belarus,” Zelenskyy said.

The President said intelligence data indicates that infrastructure work is underway in Belarus’s border areas, including the development of roads leading into Ukraine and the construction of artillery positions.

“We believe that Russia will once again try to draw Belarus into the war. I instructed that Belarus’s de facto leadership be warned through appropriate channels about Ukraine’s readiness to defend its land and independence,” Zelenskyy said.

He added that recent international developments should serve as a warning to Belarusian authorities against making strategic miscalculations.

Zelenskyy also said that Russian forces continue to suffer heavy losses in April and have so far failed to seize the initiative on the battlefield.