President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told journalists on Saturday that Russia is seeking to place ballistic missile launchers on Belarusian territory for attacks on western Ukraine, in addition to the relay stations that amplify signals for Russian drones and that Ukraine’s border service said in September were already supporting strikes on its western regions. He called such a deployment a direct drawing of Belarus into the war and said Ukraine is strengthening air defence in the regions facing the most attacks.
Zelenskyy warns Russia seeks ballistic launchers in Belarus
President Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Russia wants to station ballistic missile launchers in Belarus, alongside the drone relay sites Ukraine says already operate there, to attack western Ukraine.
Why it matters: Basing ballistic launchers in Belarus would put Ukraine's western regions under shorter flight times and, in Kyiv's framing, draw Belarus directly into the war, a step Minsk has so far avoided while hosting Russian drone infrastructure.
Data as of Saturday, October 17, 2026, 09:45 ET. Developing item. President Zelenskyy's remarks to journalists, via Ukrainska Pravda, in Ukrainian, read in full; TSN carried the same remarks. A single-party claim about an adversary's intentions, with no independent corroboration and no response from Minsk or Moscow in the reporting opened, hence grade C.
Sources
- Zelenskyy: Russia plans to deploy ballistics in Belarus for attacks on western Ukraine (in Ukrainian) · Ukrainska Pravda · 2026-10-17
- Western Ukraine under threat: Zelenskyy warned of Russia's plans to use Belarus (in Ukrainian) · TSN · 2026-10-17