Volodymyr Zelensky: Russia Deploys Relay Transmitters in Belarus for Drone Strikes on Northern Ukraine

In the second half of 2025, Russia deployed a network of relay transmitters in Belarus to guide drones targeting northern regions of Ukraine.

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky announced this.

Regions stretching from the Kyiv area to Volyn are now under threat of strikes by these Russian drones.

“Some of the attacks – including those on energy facilities and railway infrastructure in our regions – would not have been possible without this assistance from Belarus,” Zelensky stressed.

He also noted that more than 3,000 Belarusian companies have been drawn into supporting Russia’s war effort, supplying machinery, equipment, and critical components – including parts used in the missiles launched at Ukraine.

“The development of infrastructure to station intermediate-range missiles – the Oreshnik – on the territory of Belarus is also ongoing. This poses an obvious threat not only to Ukrainians, but to all Europeans,” the President emphasized.

According to him, Russia is using Belarusian territory not only to deploy Oreshnik intermediate-range missile systems.

Last year, Belarusian enterprises supplied Russia with critical units, components, and mechanical bases for this weapon. This cooperation continues this year.

Today, February 18, Ukraine imposed a package of sanctions against Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus’s self-proclaimed president, for his role in facilitating the killing of Ukrainians.

Russian drones

Previously, Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Russian drones are attempting to bypass Ukrainian interception systems by using Belarusian territory.

In late December 2025, it was also reported that since 2023, Belarus has been building an ammunition manufacturing plant intended to meet the needs of both the Belarusian and Russian militaries.

The facility is scheduled to begin operations in 2026. Its planned output includes 152 mm artillery shells and 122 mm unguided rocket projectiles.