Ukraine is bolstering its defenses along its northern border due to the risk of Belarus joining the war – The Guardian
Ukraine is strengthening its defensive positions along its northern border amid fears that Belarus may expand its involvement in the war on Russia’s side. According to The Guardian, Ukrainian forces are expanding fortifications and stepping up monitoring of troop and drone activity near the border.
The publication reports that since the beginning of 2026, the Ukrainian military has recorded an approximately 20 percent increase in the activity of Russian reconnaissance drones operating from Belarusian territory.
There are also reports of new Russian drone bases appearing near the Belarusian border and the expansion of infrastructure that could potentially be used to support Russian operations.
Despite this, Ukrainian and European analysts currently see no signs of a strike force being assembled in Belarus for a new offensive against Ukraine. At the same time, they warn against Minsk’s gradual integration into the Russian war machine.
According to The Guardian, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and former Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba suspect that Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko may be preparing for deeper involvement in the war.
Against this backdrop, Ukraine is reinforcing its northern front with anti-tank barriers, barbed wire, and additional surveillance equipment.
The publication notes that the main threat to Kyiv lies not so much in the direct entry of the Belarusian army into combat operations as in the transformation of Belarus into a stable staging ground for Russian operations against Ukraine.
Experts also believe that the Kremlin’s strategy may not involve a sharp escalation, but rather a gradual expansion of Belarus’s role in the war, which creates additional risks to the security of Ukraine and the entire region, writes The Guardian.
Since the start of the day, Russian troops have carried out 55 attacks on the positions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. The most tense situation is observed in the Pokrovsk, Huliaipole, and Kostiantynivka sectors.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb suggested that hostilities in Ukraine could continue for at least another three to four months.
