President Zelensky warned of suspicious border activity and reiterated warnings to Belarus against involvement in Russia's invasion.
6:54 PM
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported unusual activity on the Ukraine-Belarus border in a video address Saturday, renewing warnings to Minsk against involvement in Russia's ongoing invasion.
Zelensky said in his statement that "rather specific activity" had been recorded the day before on sections of the border from the Belarusian side. He did not provide specific details about the nature of the activity but stressed that Ukraine was closely documenting and monitoring the situation.
"We are closely documenting everything and keeping the situation under control," Zelensky said. He added that Ukraine would respond if necessary and warned that "everyone who is being drawn into any aggressive actions against Ukraine must understand" that Ukraine is ready to defend its people and sovereignty.
Ukrainian officials characterized the border activity as "unusual" and "minor provocations," according to reports Saturday. Ukrainian intelligence has indicated that Belarus has increased military activity in recent weeks, including building roads toward Ukraine and setting up artillery positions.
Belarus, led by autocratic leader Aleksandr Lukashenko, is considered one of the Kremlin's most loyal allies. Its territory has previously been used as a staging ground in Russia's military operations against Ukraine.
Zelensky reiterated his warnings to Belarus not to become involved in the conflict, which has now extended over four years. He emphasized Ukraine's readiness to respond to any escalation.
Separately, Russian strikes across Ukraine on Saturday killed at least three Ukrainians and wounded 42 others, according to Ukrainian officials. Zelensky also noted that Ukraine was preparing new sanctions packages for implementation Saturday and in the near future as part of its ongoing response to Russian aggression.
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