Zelenskyy: Belarus Building Border Military Sites, Intelligence Says

Belarus is nearing completion of roads and storage bases for ammunition and fuel near the Ukrainian border in preparation for a possible expansion of aggression, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday on X, citing Ukrainian intelligence.

Oleh Luhovskyi reported that the construction is taking place “under obvious Russian influence” and that the facilities “have no purpose other than a military one,” according to the president.

These facilities have no purpose other than a military one. — Oleh Luhovskyi

Zelenskyy identified the border directions as Kobryn–Kovel, Ivanava–Manevychi, Luninets–Sarny, Rečyca–Korosten and Homieĺ–Chernihiv. He said Russian documents describe the work in the context of the tasks of the so-called “SVO.”

The president also said the Foreign Intelligence Service obtained data showing that the crisis with fuel, military logistics and governance in occupied Crimea is deepening “on a virtually daily basis.”

The Russian occupation administration admits it cannot fix the problems caused by Ukraine’s mid-range sanctions and its long-range plan aimed mainly at Russian oil refining, he said. A similar situation is unfolding in other Russian regions, according to Zelenskyy.

Citing internal Russian documents on public sentiment, the president said anxiety among Russians has risen above 50 percent, higher than during Ukraine’s Kursk operation.

He said 66 percent of Russians consider their financial situation difficult and more than 80 percent believe a large-scale economic crisis is inevitable. Zelenskyy described the figures as evidence of the failure of “Putin’s war policy.”

Zelenskyy said Belarus has received Ukraine’s signals about the border activity and its broader cooperation with Russia. He said the development of the border infrastructure “must be stopped” and that Belarus must take steps toward de-escalation and peace.