Zelensky: Russian Relay Stations Silent in Belarus

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an audio message to journalists on Wednesday that stations transmitting navigation signals on Belarusian territory, which the Russian military had been using to guide attack drones against Ukraine, have stopped working.

Their operation was suspended as of 22 June. "Whether they took them down or not, honestly, I don't know for now. But we are working on this", he added.

The development came just days after the Ukrainian leader issued a sharp and direct warning to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, giving him a one-week ultimatum.

Last Friday, Zelensky said openly that if Belarus did not deactivate and remove the signal relay stations in the two regions bordering Ukraine immediately, Kyiv would be forced to take the initiative and intervene militarily.

It remains unclear how the equipment was shut down and whether this had an immediate impact on the intensity of Russian drone attacks.

In recent months, the Ukrainian side has repeatedly warned that Moscow is attempting to draw Minsk much deeper and more intensely into the war.

(Reuters, Max)