Zelenskyy gives Lukashenka one-week ultimatum over drone guidance equipment
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued a one-week ultimatum to Belarus, demanding the dismantling of relay stations on the border that he claims are used to guide Russian drone attacks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday during a press briefing in Kyiv with visiting Honduran President Nasry Asfura that he is giving Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenka one week to dismantle relay stations on the border with Ukraine. Zelenskyy alleged that these stations are used to guide Russian drone attacks.
"There are relay stations on the towers. Can he take them down? What’s the point of saying he doesn’t want war? Just take down that equipment; just shut it down," Zelenskyy said. "I think a week would be enough for him to do this. And the reason I say a week is because right now, every day, our civilians are dying and children are being wounded because of this. If he doesn’t do it, we will," he warned.
Since 2022, Russia has used Belarus as a launchpad for its invasion of Ukraine and has been trying to draw Minsk further into the war. Lukashenka, Putin's closest ally, has hosted Russian nuclear weapons and military infrastructure. Belarus also produces components for Russia's military industries, and the two countries have conducted joint nuclear drills.
Zelenskyy's warning comes as civilian casualties mount following renewed Russian attacks on multiple Ukrainian cities. At least 11 people were killed earlier this week, and the 11th-century Dormition Cathedral in Kyiv was set on fire. On Saturday, Ukrainian authorities reported at least one person killed and nine others, including a child, injured after Russian guided bombs hit an apartment block in Kharkiv's Kholodnohirskiy district.
On Friday, Zelenskyy also expressed hope that the United States would give a "positive response" regarding granting Ukraine licenses to manufacture anti-ballistic missiles. Speaking after meeting US President Donald Trump at the G7 summit in France, Zelenskyy said the licenses would allow Ukrainian state and private defense companies to produce interceptor missiles, not only for the war effort but also to help allies in Europe and the Middle East.
