Ukraine is strengthening border fortifications from Volyn to Chernihiv Oblast – State Border Guard Service
Ukraine continues to bolster its defense capabilities along the border with Belarus in light of potential security threats. Andriy Demchenko, spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service, announced this on May 20 during a briefing at Ukrinform.
According to him, work to fortify and strengthen defenses is underway along the entire northern border—from Volyn to Chernihiv regions.
“This sector is receiving significant attention, given Belarus’s support for Russia, a terrorist state that has waged war against us. Therefore, we continue to build up our defensive capabilities directly along the border, fortifying every inch of our land. Such work is being carried out along the entire length of the border with Belarus—that is, over 1,000 kilometers from Volyn to Chernihiv Oblast. This includes the reinforcement of fortifications and the creation and expansion of minefields and explosive barriers. These actions continue to be carried out by units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” Demchenko said.
He assured that there is currently no significant threat from Belarus, but noted that Russia is seeking to persuade it to participate more actively in the war against Ukraine.
“As of now, we are not observing any movement of equipment or personnel directly near our border. But, of course, we see the pressure Russia is exerting on Belarus to draw it more extensively into the war against our country,” Demchenko noted.
As a reminder, Belarus has begun exercises to practice the use of nuclear weapons.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia is attempting to draw Belarus deeper into the war against Ukraine and is considering new scenarios for aggression from its territory.
Belarus’s self-proclaimed president, Alexander Lukashenko, held a meeting on military equipment and announced the preparation of a new state armament program for 2026–2030.
Belarus continues to build infrastructure facilities deep within its territory and is not moving them closer to the Ukrainian border. At the same time, it cannot be ruled out that Russia may use these facilities in the future to deploy additional forces and equipment.
