Ukraine monitoring Belarus border for Russian actions during upcoming military drills

The situation along Ukraine’s border with Belarus has not significantly changed, with no signs of a Russian strike group forming near the frontier. 

However, the Belarusian direction remains a threat due to Belarus’ continued support for Russia. 

“We cannot rule out that Russia might resort to repeated actions from this direction, especially in the context of the announced upcoming joint military exercises,” Demchenko said. 

“If Russian troops are on the territory of Belarus during the exercises, the threat will increase.”

Ukrainian intelligence actively monitors Russian troop movements, ensuring Kyiv would be aware of any deployments to Belarus. 

In March, Demchenko reported about 2,000 Russian troops in Belarus handling logistics, down from 10,000-12,000 in 2023.

On April 29, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested Russia is “preparing something” in Belarus this summer, using military drills as a pretext. 

The Zapad-2025 Russian-Belarusian drills, involving over 13,000 troops, are scheduled for mid-September, though troop deployments could begin months earlier.