War

Belarus 'nearing completion' in constructing military infrastructure along Ukraine's border, Zelensky says

3 min read
Belarus 'nearing completion' in constructing military infrastructure along Ukraine's border, Zelensky says
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (L) shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) during the Great Heritage - Common Future Forum in Volgograd, Russia on April 29, 2025. (Contributor / Getty Images)

President Volodymyr Zelensky once again warned of Minsk's "potential expansion of aggression" against Ukraine on June 25, reporting that the construction of various military infrastructure along the Belarus-Ukraine border is "nearing completion."

"(T)he construction of road infrastructure and storage bases for ammunition and fuel and lubricants is nearing completion," the president wrote on social media after receiving a briefing from Oleh Luhovskyi, the acting head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service.

"These facilities have no purpose other than a military one," Zelensky added.

Throughout 2026, Ukrainian officials have drawn attention to signals that Moscow, Minsk's closest ally, may be attempting to draw Belarus deeper into its confrontation with Kyiv in an attempt to aid in the Kremlin's war effort.

On June 22, Belarus' exiled opposition handed Zelensky a list of warning signs that Minsk soon plans to enter Russia's war against Ukraine, outlining clear policy areas pointing to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's domestic shift towards a wartime posture.

In response to the latest developments along Ukraine's northern border, Zelensky said that Kyiv provided the "necessary signals from Ukraine regarding this activity, as well as regarding all other formats of its collaboration with Russia in the interests of prolonging and scaling up the war."

"It is the Belarusian side that must take steps toward de-escalation and peace," the president added.

The latest comments from Zelensky comes a day after Lukashenko appeared to accept an ultimatum presented by Kyiv to remove communications equipment on Belarusian territory that Kyiv says was helping support Russian drone strikes. Kyiv warned that Belarus would face unspecified action from Ukraine if the equipment was not removed.

Throughout the years, Russia has repeatedly involved Belarus in its war against Ukraine. The country was used as one of several entry points at the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, from which Russian troops occupied the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, before launching a failed assault on Kyiv.

Since then, Russia has used Belarus as a launchpad for its ongoing air assaults on Ukraine and has been using Belarusian stockpiles to replenish its military hardware losses throughout the war.

Oleksandr Pivnenko, commander of Ukraine's National Guard, said on June 22 that for Moscow to properly mount a repeat offensive on northern Ukraine from Belarusian territory, it would need at least 70,000 soldiers.

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Dmytro Basmat

Senior News Editor

Dmytro Basmat is a Senior News Editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.

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