Overview
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in his nightly video address on 21 June 2026, publicly urged the government of Belarus to dismantle four relay stations that Kyiv has identified as facilitating Russian drone attacks on Ukrainian territory. He emphasized that Belarus still has time to remove the equipment and warned that Ukraine is monitoring the facilities that it believes support Moscow’s war effort.
Timeline and Threat
Zelenskiy stated that Belarusian authorities have roughly a week to dismantle the identified relay equipment, indicating that failure to act could prompt Ukraine to take unspecified counter‑measures. This marks the second consecutive day that the Ukrainian president has publicly pressed Belarus over its alleged role in the conflict, following a similar appeal made the previous Friday.
Belarusian Involvement in the Conflict
The president also highlighted that Belarusian factories are reportedly producing or providing equipment that aids Russian military operations. He reiterated that Belarus has remained one of Russia’s closest allies since the full‑scale invasion began in February 2022, noting that Russian forces used Belarusian territory as a staging ground during the initial phase of the war. President Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, has repeatedly claimed he does not wish deeper involvement, yet Minsk continues to maintain close political and military ties with Moscow.
Energy Supply Dimension
Zelenskiy further pointed to Belarus’s energy sector, asserting that fuel supplies from Belarus are enabling Russia to mitigate economic pressure. According to his statements, gasoline shipments from Belarus to Russia increased thirteenfold in the first five months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, while diesel exports from Belarus to Russia tripled over the same timeframe. He argued that this surge in fuel deliveries helps Russia adapt to sanctions and does not bring the prospect of peace any closer.
Ukrainian Military Actions
The Ukrainian president noted that Ukraine has intensified medium‑ and long‑range drone strikes targeting Russian energy infrastructure in recent months, as part of a broader strategy to weaken Moscow’s military capabilities.