Zelenskyy says Russia wants to deploy ballistic missile systems in Belarus to attack Ukraine's west

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the Russians want to deploy not only drone relays but also ballistic missile systems in Belarus to attack Ukraine's west.

Source: Zelenskyy speaking to journalists

Quote from Zelenskyy: "Is there a threat of strikes and an increase in attacks on the western part of our state? Absolutely. Is Russia preparing for this? I think so.

Why are they constantly dragging Belarus into this, in my opinion? Because we know that they are placing relays on the territory of Belarus to use this corridor for drones and intensify the corresponding attacks.

But this is not enough for them; they need the support of [the self-proclaimed Belarusian president Alexander] Lukashenko to deploy other types [of weapons] on the territory of Belarus, including ballistic missiles. Undoubtedly, the deployment of ballistic missiles on the territory of Belarus would be a threat primarily to the western part of our state."

Details: Zelenskyy said the deployment of Russian ballistic missile systems would "directly drag Belarus into the war". He described this as "very dangerous for Belarus as well" and added: "God forbid they get dragged into this."

He also noted that Ukraine will bolster air defences in areas most frequently targeted by Russian attacks.

"Our approach to strengthening [air defence] is based on the following principle: the more attacks a region faces, the more air defence it gets. Of course, it is very important for us to strengthen air defence across the entire country. We will increase production of turrets, and our military will have to deploy them where the threat is greatest, providing greater protection there," he said.

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