Zelenskyy gives Lukashenko one week to remove drone relays near border

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday (June 19) he had given Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko one week to dismantle relay systems that he said were helping direct Russian drone attacks on Ukraine, warning that Kyiv would otherwise act on its own.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Kyiv with Honduran President Nasry Asfura, Zelenskyy dismissed Lukashenko's recent statements that Belarus did not want to become involved in the war between Russia and Ukraine, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

"When Mr Lukashenko says he does not want to be drawn into the war, he should be honest, at least with his own people," Zelenskyy said, adding that Belarus had already played a role in the conflict by allowing Russian military operations from its territory.

Zelenskyy alleged that relay equipment located on communication towers in Belarus near the Ukrainian border was being used to guide attacks against Ukrainian civilians.

"There are relay systems on those towers. He can remove them. Let him switch off this equipment," Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian president said Lukashenko should be able to dismantle the systems within a week.

"I think one week is enough for him to do it. Every day civilians are being killed and children are being wounded because of this. If he does not do it, we will," he said.

Zelenskyy also accused Belarus of supplying petroleum products used by Russian forces, saying Minsk remained one of the main fuel suppliers to the Russian military.

"He can stop it. I am convinced it is within his power," Zelenskyy said.

His comments came days after Lukashenko said Belarus had no intention of taking military action against Ukraine and described the spread of the war onto Belarusian territory as unacceptable.

Speaking on June 16, Lukashenko said Belarus was militarily vulnerable and had no interest in entering the conflict. He warned that if Ukraine attacked Belarus in the same way it had targeted sites inside Russia, Belarus would be exposed to Ukrainian military action.

Belarus, a close ally of Moscow, allowed Russian forces to use its territory as a staging ground during the early stages of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

By Aghakazim Guliyev