Belarusian signal repeaters on the Belarusian-Ukrainian border have stopped operating after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Minsk must deactivate them no later than June 26. This is stated by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), reports News.bg.
According to Zelensky, the repeaters installed by Russia, which allow Russian forces to control drones at long distances and carry out strikes deep into Western Ukraine, have not been working since June 22.
The Ukrainian president specified that it was not clear whether the Belarusian authorities had completely dismantled the equipment or had only temporarily suspended its use. He has repeatedly urged Minsk to remove the repeaters, as, according to Kiev, they increase the effectiveness and accuracy of Russian attacks. Zelensky recently warned that Ukraine would strike the facilities if Belarus did not remove them by June 26.
According to a report by the “Wall Street Journal“, cited by ISW, the Kremlin is increasing pressure on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to expand the country's participation in the war against Ukraine.
The publication claims that Moscow is trying to convince Minsk to allow Russian forces to launch drones from Belarusian territory and expand the front line to the west, which would force Ukraine to transfer additional forces to its northern border.
According to sources cited by the newspaper, the Kremlin has warned the Belarusian leadership that it may limit its financial support if its demands are not met.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on June 24 that Russia will continue to support Belarus and respond to any threat against the country, including one coming from Ukraine. He stressed that Moscow and Minsk remain allies in both the security and economic spheres.
According to the ISW analysis, the actions surrounding the relay stations show that Lukashenko continues to try to balance between maintaining Russian support and preserving the remnants of Belarusian sovereignty without directly involving his country in Russia's military operations.
At the same time, senior Russian officials continue to emphasize Moscow's reluctance to engage in direct negotiations with Ukraine and insist on the implementation of Russian military objectives.
Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev stated on June 24 that Russian forces are capable of achieving all set objectives on the battlefield. He rejected the legitimacy of Volodymyr Zelensky as the president of Ukraine and opposed the idea of direct dialogue to end the war.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, for his part, said that Moscow was ready to listen to American representatives during a subsequent visit to Russia, but would not accept a freeze on the current front line as a condition for resuming negotiations.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov indicated that Russia remained committed to the plans for a peace settlement, which Moscow said was agreed upon with the United States during the Alaska meeting in August 2025. He also stressed that the Kremlin did not view the European Union as a desirable mediator in any potential negotiations.
ISW notes that Russian representatives have repeatedly claimed the existence of such an agreement with the United States, despite the lack of public confirmation of any agreements reached since the Alaska meeting.
According to the analysis, the Kremlin is using these claims to maintain the thesis that he is ready for negotiations, while continuing to reject compromise proposals and insist on conditions that Ukraine and its allies consider unacceptable.