Zelensky warns Belarus can no longer deny involvement as Russian drone repeaters operate there, says future peaceful relations depend on free leadership and pro-EU path in Minsk
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Feb. 23 in an interview with Belarusian independent outlet Dzerkalo that Russia has deployed Shahed drone repeaters in Belarus to help coordinate attacks on Ukraine, saying Minsk can no longer deny responsibility.
"Now Belarus knows exactly what is happening on its territory," Zelensky said. "It is no longer possible to say… that ‘the missiles were launched, and they had been here for a long time, and we do not control this.’"
He said the repeaters represent new technology used to adjust drone strikes targeting Ukrainian civilians and energy infrastructure.
"The repeaters of modern Shahed drones are a new technology that has appeared on the territory of Belarus and helps to strike our people and energy facilities," Zelensky said, adding that Ukraine has acted to remove several of them. "We did everything we could to ensure that three or four of them were no longer there."
Zelensky stressed that Russian drones are not only flying through Belarusian airspace but are also receiving technical support from its territory, arguing that responsibility now lies directly with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.
"Now it definitely depends on (Lukashenko)," he said, warning Belarusians must understand the risks of deeper involvement in the war.
He also cautioned that Russia may next prepare deployment sites in Belarus for Oreshnik missile systems, calling the developments "new steps, not old ones" that can no longer be dismissed as beyond Minsk’s control.
The Oreshnik is an intermediate-range ballistic missile believed to be a modified version of the Rubezh surface-to-surface missile, itself derived from Soviet-era ballistic missile designs.
Looking beyond the war, Zelensky said he hopes relations between Kyiv and Minsk can eventually normalize under democratic change.
"The best thing is for Ukraine and Belarus to be members of the European Union," he said, adding that peaceful relations depend on respecting sovereignty "when missiles do not fly from one country to another."
"I would very much like the war to end and something to change in relations between our countries," Zelensky added. "After all, the Belarusian people did not start the war against Ukraine."
On Feb. 18, Ukraine imposed a new package of sanctions against Lukashenko, accusing him of helping Moscow sustain its invasion.
He also said more than 3,000 Belarusian companies are supplying Russia with machinery and components, including parts used in missile production.Belarus remains one of Russia's closest allies and has provided political and military support to Moscow since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine.
