Belarus halts equipment used to guide Russian strikes, Zelensky says, after Ukraine's ultimatum

Communications equipment that Ukraine says was helping support Russian drone strikes from Belarusian territory has stopped operating, President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters on June 24, days after issuing an ultimatum to Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko.

The development follows Zelensky's warning to Minsk that Belarus had one week to remove the equipment or face unspecified action from Ukraine.

"According to the information I received... the equipment stopped operating on the Belarusian territory as of June 22," Zelensky said. "Whether it has been dismantled or not, I honestly don't know yet."

"The fact is that, as of today, the equipment is no longer operating."

The Ukrainian president previously said the systems consisted of relay equipment mounted on communications towers and were being used to support Russian drone attacks against Ukraine.

Russia's Shahed-type attack drones are known to rely on radio communications networks and ground-based infrastructure to navigate during long-range strikes.

Ukrainian border guards have recorded a drop in the number of Russian attack drones entering northern Chernihiv Oblast, while large Shahed drone raids along the Belarus-Ukraine border have ceased, State Border Guard spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said on June 24.

Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, remains one of Moscow's closest allies and has provided political and military support to Russia throughout its full-scale war against Ukraine.

Following Zelensky's ultimatum, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov accused Kyiv of displaying "aggression" and violating Belarus's sovereignty.

The Kremlin also said on June 22 that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Lukashenko planned to meet in the near future to discuss Zelensky's warning to Minsk.