The State Border Guard Service assessed the situation on the border with Belarus
Ukrainian border guards see no signs of a strike force being assembled on Belarusian territory that could pose a threat to Ukraine. At the same time, Russia continues to pressure Minsk in an attempt to draw Belarus more actively into the war.
Andriy Demchenko, a spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, made this statement during a television broadcast. According to him, Ukrainian units, together with the General Staff, are monitoring the situation near the border. At present, they have not observed any signs that Belarus is building up its forces for a possible strike against Ukraine. “Our units and the General Staff have also noted that there is no buildup of any strike force in the direction of our border on Belarusian territory,” Demchenko said.
At the same time, the situation remains under control, as Russia continues its attempts to influence Belarus. Moscow is interested in Minsk becoming more actively involved in the war against Ukraine. “Russia continues to exert pressure on Belarus to get it to participate more actively in the war against our country—including through attempts to destabilize the situation along the border,” noted the State Border Guard Service spokesperson.
Demchenko also emphasized that the Ukrainian-Belarusian border is now much better prepared for potential threats than it was at the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. This includes, in particular, engineering structures, fortifications, and mine-and-explosive barriers. The greatest attention is being paid to areas that may pose the greatest threat. “This applies to engineering works, fortifications, and the reinforcement of minefields and explosive barriers along the most vulnerable sectors,” Demchenko explained.
He emphasized that Ukraine does not view Belarus as a country that is under threat of attack from Ukraine. At the same time, if Belarusian forces were to directly participate in the war, the situation would be different. “Belarus must understand and see what we are doing—that we do not pose a threat to Belarus—but if Belarus suddenly decides to join the war with its own forces, it must understand what it will be up against,” said the State Border Guard Service spokesperson.
Thus, at present, the Ukrainian side has not detected any preparations by Belarus for a new attack from the north. However, due to Russian influence, the situation remains potentially dangerous, so the Ukrainian military continues to monitor the border and strengthen its defenses.
The Ryazan oil refinery, one of the largest in Russia, has halted crude oil processing following a drone strike. The facility may remain shut down for approximately two weeks.
SBU drones struck the Lukoil refinery in Perm, more than 1,500 km from Ukraine.
As a reminder, on the night of July 29, the Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out strikes on a number of military and infrastructure targets on the territory of Russia and in the temporarily occupied Crimea. Among the targets struck were the Ryazan Oil Refinery, a base for Russian Black Sea Fleet vessels, a radar station, and military logistics facilities.
On July 29, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced new results from strikes on Russian facilities used to support and prolong the war against Ukraine.
