New roads, artillery positions built in Belarus near Ukraine border, Zelensky says
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New roads and artillery positions are being set up in Belarus alongside Ukraine's northern border, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 17, warning that Russia may again try to draw Minsk deeper into its war against Ukraine.
"We believe that Russia will once again attempt to drag Belarus into its war," Zelensky said.
The president's remarks come amid renewed concerns that the Russian vassal state north of Ukraine could play a more active role in Russia's war.
Belarus was a key staging ground for Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, allowing its territory to be used for troop movements, missile launches, and drone attacks against Ukraine.
Russia's failed ground push to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv was launched from Belarusian territory.
Since then, no major cross-border incursions have occurred, and fears that Minsk would join the war with its own armed forces have so far not materialized.
In December 2025, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that a Russian ballistic missile system known as Oreshnik had been deployed in Belarus and put on combat duty.
Zelensky later said Ukraine knows the system’s location and has shared the information with Western allies, warning that its range could threaten not only Ukraine but also countries like Poland and Germany.
Investigations based on satellite imagery have also shown that Belarus has significantly expanded military infrastructure since 2022, including the construction of new facilities and roads near the Ukrainian border.
