Ukraine eyes Belarus border activities as Russian strikes persist

The role of Belarus in Russia’s war on Ukraine has provoked sanctions from Kyiv, which says it is ready to respond to the undefined activity on the border.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reiterated warnings to Belarus not to get involved in Russia’s invasion as he reported unusual activity near the shared border between the two.In a video address shared on social media on Saturday, Zelenskyy said, without offering details regarding the suspicious activity along sections of the border, that Ukraine is ready to respondRecommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Mali probes soldiers suspected of involvement in military base attackslist 2 of 3Mexico’s Sinaloa state governor resigns amid US drug trafficking chargeslist 3 of 3Israel’s ‘two-tier’ policing and the crime epidemic in Palestinian townsend of list“We are closely documenting everything and keeping the situation under control,” he said, warning that “everyone who is being drawn into any aggressive actions against Ukraine must understand” that the country is ready to defend its sovereignty.Last month, Zelenskyy warned Minsk against getting entangled in the conflict, saying he believed that Moscow would attempt to draw it into its war.The Ukrainian leader announced that new roads and artillery positions were being set up along the border between the two, accusing Russia of using apartment blocks in Belarus to launch attacks and circumvent Ukraine’s defences in December.Launching its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian forces crossed the border from Belarus towards Kyiv. However, Belarus did not participate directly in the fighting.‘Brutal attack’During his address, Zelenskyy also reported that the city of Kherson in southern Ukraine had come under “brutal attack,” with drones targeting civilian transport. Ukrainian media reported that at least two people were killed in a strike on a minibus in the Dniprovskyi district.The president also reported strikes in Dnipro, Odesa, Sumy and Kharkiv, and that a drone struck an energy infrastructure facility, but that power had since been restored.