Belarus 'nearing completion' in constructing military infrastructure along Ukraine's border, Zelensky says

President Volodymyr Zelensky once again warned of Minsk's "potential expansion of aggression" against Ukraine on June 25, reporting that the construction of various military infrastructure along the Belarus-Ukraine border is "nearing completion."

"(T)he construction of road infrastructure and storage bases for ammunition and fuel and lubricants is nearing completion," the president wrote on social media after receiving a briefing from Oleh Luhovskyi, the acting head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service.

"These facilities have no purpose other than a military one," Zelensky added.

Throughout 2026, Ukrainian officials have drawn attention to signals that Moscow, Minsk's closest ally, may be attempting to draw Belarus deeper into its confrontation with Kyiv in an attempt to aid in the Kremlin's war effort.

On June 22, Belarus' exiled opposition handed Zelensky a list of warning signs that Minsk soon plans to enter Russia's war against Ukraine, outlining clear policy areas pointing to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's domestic shift towards a wartime posture.

In response to the latest developments along Ukraine's northern border, Zelensky said that Kyiv provided the "necessary signals from Ukraine regarding this activity, as well as regarding all other formats of its collaboration with Russia in the interests of prolonging and scaling up the war."

"It is the Belarusian side that must take steps toward de-escalation and peace," the president added.

The latest comments from Zelensky comes a day after Lukashenko appeared to accept an ultimatum presented by Kyiv to remove communications equipment on Belarusian territory that Kyiv says was helping support Russian drone strikes. Kyiv warned that Belarus would face unspecified action from Ukraine if the equipment was not removed.

Throughout the years, Russia has repeatedly involved Belarus in its war against Ukraine. The country was used as one of several entry points at the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, from which Russian troops occupied the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, before launching a failed assault on Kyiv.

Since then, Russia has used Belarus as a launchpad for its ongoing air assaults on Ukraine and has been using Belarusian stockpiles to replenish its military hardware losses throughout the war.

Oleksandr Pivnenko, commander of Ukraine's National Guard, said on June 22 that for Moscow to properly mount a repeat offensive on northern Ukraine from Belarusian territory, it would need at least 70,000 soldiers.

Ukraine's military reportedly carried out a drone attack against an oil refinery in the Russian city of Slavyansk-na-Kubani overnight on June 28, Russian Telegram media channels reported.

"Slovakia will not pay for Ukraine's military expenses," Prime Minister Robert Fico said ahead of the summit in Ankara in July.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, a right-wing populist leader with authoritarian tendencies and warm ties with Russia, said on June 27 that he would resign from office.

The so-called "Alaska understanding" refers to Moscow's request that Washington to pressure Ukraine to withdraw completely from Donbas, one person familiar with the Alaska discussions previously told the Kyiv Independent.

Aleksey Zhuravlyov, first deputy chair of Russian State Duma Defense Committee, said Moscow would strengthen its military presence along the border with Finland and could easily destroy half the country.

The civilians were detained by Russian forces during the occupation of Mariupol and parts of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk oblasts in 2022.

The strike is part of a 40-day campaign approved by President Volodymyr Zelensky, which he said is aimed at "compelling" Russia to end the war.

The pilot was located by a search-and-rescue team, which evacuated him to a medical facility.

Russia launched 129 Shahed-type attack drones overnight on June 27, Ukraine's Air Force said.

The strike targeted a major defense enterprise that manufactures launchers for the Yars and Topol-M strategic missile systems, as well as launchers for the Iskander-M tactical ballistic missile system.

The number includes 1,350 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on June 26 that President Karol Nawrocki's decision to strip President Volodymyr Zelensky of Poland's Order of the White Eagle was an inappropriate response to the recent diplomatic dispute between Warsaw and Kyiv.