Russia Wants to Strike Western Ukraine With Ballistic Missiles From Belarusian Territory — Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned of a possible intensification of Russian attacks on western regions of Ukraine and Moscow’s intentions to deploy ballistic weapons on Belarusian territory.

He made this statement on October 17 while answering a question from a journalist at Channel 24 Ukraine.

To carry out these plans, the Kremlin needs the support of Alexander Lukashenko. At the same time, such a move would further drag Belarus into the war and pose a danger to the country itself.

“They need Lukashenko’s support in order to deploy other types of weapons, including ballistic missiles, on Belarusian territory. And, of course, the deployment of ballistic missiles on Belarusian territory will pose a threat first and foremost to the western part of our country,” Zelensky said.

The President of Ukraine also announced plans to strengthen air defense in response to the intensity of enemy shelling. In particular, Ukraine will ramp up production of turret-mounted systems, which the military will deploy based on the threat level in various regions.

Back in February 2023, Militarnyi reported that Belarus had likely received Iskander operational-tactical missile systems from Russia, which had previously been used to strike Ukraine. Fourteen red stars were spotted on one of the launchers, which could indicate that combat launches had been carried out.

In addition, in February 2026, it became known that launchers for the Oreshnik missile system were likely being deployed at the former Krichev-6 military air base, where the necessary infrastructure was also being developed.