Zelensky stated that as of June 22, the relays for Russian drones on Belarusian territory have stopped working. Lukashenko received an ultimatum from Zelensky - if Minsk does not remove the relays, Kyiv will do it.
Kyiv has recorded the shutdown of Belarusian relays that Russia used to control drones during attacks on Ukraine. This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, June 24, specifying that the equipment has shown no signs of activity since June 22.
"I honestly do not know whether they have been dismantled or not. But we are working on it. I am monitoring this very closely, receiving daily reports. The fact is that the relays are not operational today," he told reporters.
Zelensky's Ultimatum
For the first time, the Ukrainian leader publicly raised the issue of the relays on June 19 in Kyiv - during a meeting with the press alongside Honduran President Nasry Asfura. At that time, Zelensky stated that equipment helping Russian military to direct drones at Ukrainian targets was placed on Belarusian towers in border areas. An ultimatum was presented to Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko: remove the equipment within a week, or Ukraine will take matters into its own hands.
Moscow reacted sharply - Russian President's spokesman Dmitry Peskov called Kyiv's demand an "aggressive threat" and interference in Belarus's internal affairs. He also promised that "in the foreseeable future" Vladimir Putin would contact Lukashenko to discuss the situation.
Lukashenko himself has yet to respond to Zelensky's ultimatum. However, on June 16, he apologized to Zelensky for his harsh remarks and assured that Belarus does not seek to enter the war against Ukraine.
Drones Changed Their Route
Indirect confirmation of Volodymyr Zelensky's words about the shutdown of the relays comes from the Belarusian publication "Flagstock": according to its information, Russian drones have not appeared near the Belarusian-Ukrainian border for three consecutive days. The last such case was reported early on Sunday, June 21. Prior to this, since the end of spring, routes through the Belarusian border area were regularly used, and some drones even entered Belarusian airspace.
However, attacks on the Chernihiv region have not ceased: drones continue to attack the region, just now they are approaching from other directions, bypassing the Belarusian border.
Pressure on Minsk
Experts view Zelensky's ultimatum as an element of a broader strategy to pressure Russia. Jan Claas Behrends, an expert on Eastern Europe at the Center for Contemporary History Research in Potsdam, points out that Ukraine is consistently seeking vulnerable points of the enemy - whether it be attacks in Crimea, strikes on Moscow, or pressure on Alexander Lukashenko's regime. In his opinion, possible protests in Belarus would provide Kyiv with a significant strategic advantage.
Stefan Meister, an expert at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), believes that the ultimatum also serves another purpose - to prevent Belarus from being directly drawn into the war. He reminds of the active construction of military infrastructure on Belarusian territory towards Ukraine.
"Ukrainians have become more confident thanks to their drones, which can attack at medium and long ranges. Therefore, Zelensky is also trying to make it clear to Lukashenko that if he continues to support the Russians, there may be consequences," Meister explained.
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