Zelenskyy: NATO should treat Russia’s Oreshnik in Belarus as legitimate target

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Belarus of directly facilitating Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukraine, warning that Minsk’s actions pose growing risks not only to Ukraine but also to Europe and Belarus itself.

In an interview with the Belarusian independent media outlet Dzerkalo, Zelenskyy said Belarus could no longer claim ignorance over Russian military activities on its territory, Caliber.Az reports.

“Now Belarus definitely knows what is happening on its territory. It can no longer be said, as Lukashenko once told me after the full-scale invasion began, that Russian missiles were launched but they had long been stationed in Belarus, and that it wasn’t under Belarusian control,” Zelenskyy said.

Now Belarus definitely knows what is happening on its territory. It can no longer be said, as Lukashenko once told me after the full-scale invasion began, that Russian missiles were launched but they had long been stationed in Belarus, and that it wasn’t under Belarusian control.… pic.twitter.com/mYEgTDMPIW

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 23, 2026

He alleged that new relay stations for modern “shahed” drones had been installed in Belarus and were being used to guide attacks against Ukrainian civilians and energy infrastructure. According to Zelenskyy, these installations represent a new level of involvement by Minsk in Russia’s war effort.

“Now the relay stations for modern ‘shahed’ drones are new installations that have appeared on the territory of Belarus and help attack our people and energy infrastructure. These relay stations enable drone guidance,” he said.

Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine had taken action against some of these facilities.

 “We did everything so that three or four of them are no longer there. We had to do this because Russia used jet-powered drones, but not only through Belarus. They did not just pass through their territory – they operated with technological support from the territory of Belarus.”

He also warned of preparations to deploy Russia’s Oreshnik missile system in Belarus, describing it as a dangerous escalation that now rests squarely on the shoulders of Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.

“The next step is the preparation of a site for the deployment of Oreshnik on the territory of Belarus. This is all about new steps, not old ones that did not depend on Lukashenko, as he previously claimed. Now it definitely depends on him,” Zelenskyy said.

He argued that NATO should treat the Oreshnik system as a legitimate military target and suggested that Belarusian society should recognize the risks associated with deeper military integration with Russia.

“In my opinion, NATO should view Oreshnik as a legitimate target. Ukraine will assess this threat. Lukashenko is making a big mistake,” he said, adding that Russia appeared to be using the system to intimidate Europe. He claimed that only support vehicles had so far been moved into Belarus, but warned that Moscow could deploy the full system without further consultation with Lukashenko.

Zelenskyy also expressed concern about potential large-scale joint military exercises between Belarus and Russia, noting that previous drills had preceded Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

“Secondly, I know they are talking about joint military exercises with the Russian Federation on the territory of Belarus. Again. We’ll see how large-scale they will be. But when they were conducted on a large scale, the offensive on Ukraine's territory began. Therefore all this definitely poses major risks for Ukraine. And, I believe, major risks for Belarusians,” he said.

The Ukrainian president confirmed that Kyiv is preparing additional sanctions against Lukashenko and his inner circle.

“Sanctions against Lukashenko are the first step. We will develop this further and are now working on the legal basis for continuing the sanctions policy. This will apply not only to Lukashenko, but also to his entourage, his sons, etc.”

Zelenskyy said Ukraine had so far refrained from raising the issue of Lukashenko with the United States because Washington had sought diplomatic engagement with Minsk. However, he indicated that Kyiv would now push for a reassessment.

“We will now engage on this track and discuss with the Americans that this cannot continue; that he supports the Russian regime – not only supports Russia’s geopolitics, but supports it in war and helps kill civilians,” he said.

Zelenskyy added that Ukraine has documented evidence of drone attacks launched from Belarusian territory.

“We have evidence of this. All of this is on maps and video; everything is documented – how ‘shaheds’ entered Ukraine from the territory of Belarus thanks to relay stations. And after that strikes were carried out against us and there were civilian casualties. For us this is a crime. And we will now pursue the legal dimension of these crimes.”

By Sabina Mammadli