Sybiha: Belarus Helps Russia Carry Out Drone Attacks on Ukraine

Signal relay equipment operating from Belarusian territory is helping Russia conduct drone attacks against Ukraine, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said, calling for continued sanctions and legal action against the regime of Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.Sybiha made the remarks during a side event on Belarus hosted by the EU delegation in New York, where world leaders and senior diplomats gathered for the UN General Assembly.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.“Belarus is Russia’s accomplice in the war against Ukraine,” Sybiha wrote on X. “Its territory, infrastructure, and resources continue to serve Russia’s war machine.”The foreign minister said Belarusian oil refineries provide fuel for Moscow’s war effort, while signal relay equipment based inside the country supports Russian drone operations against Ukraine.Belarus allowed Russian forces to use its territory to launch the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Moscow has since continued using Belarusian territory, airspace, and military infrastructure, although Minsk has not formally deployed its own troops to fight inside Ukraine.Sybiha said the Belarusian regime also poses broader security threats to Europe, pointing to irregular migration along Belarus’ borders with EU and NATO countries. Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland have accused Minsk of deliberately directing migrants toward their borders as part of a pressure campaign against Europe. Other Topics of Interest Stay – and Lose Control: Auchan, Nestlé and Leroy Merlin in Russia Russia placed the assets of Auchan, Nestlé and the former Leroy Merlin under temporary management. Remaining in the market did not protect these companies. The Ukrainian minister called for Lukashenko and other senior Belarusian officials to face prosecution before the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and members of his inner circle.“There can be no wishful thinking about the Minsk regime – it has no independent agency from Moscow. Pressure on both regimes must be applied without exceptions or compromises.”His warning comes as Washington pursues negotiations with Minsk involving the release of political prisoners in return for limited sanctions relief. Belarus released 25 prisoners in September after talks with a US envoy, while Washington lifted restrictions on two Belarusian companies and discussed the return of frozen assets. However, human rights activists say hundreds of political prisoners remain behind bars. US President Donald Trump has also said Washington is working on an agreement to purchase Belarusian potash, prompting concern among some European governments that economic pressure on Minsk could be relaxed while repression and support for Russia’s war continue.Sybiha warned that easing pressure would send Moscow and Minsk “exactly the wrong signal: that aggression pays off.”At the same time, he stressed the need to distinguish between Lukashenko’s government and the Belarusian people, who mounted mass protests after the disputed 2020 presidential election.“A free Belarus is not just a dream – it is essential to the security of our whole region,” he said.Sybiha also announced stronger cooperation between Kyiv and Belarusian democratic forces led by exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. He endorsed sanctions proposals developed by her team and said Ukraine’s foreign ministry had appointed an ambassador-at-large for cooperation with Belarusian democratic forces.Tsikhanouskaya welcomed Sybiha’s remarks and thanked him for separating the Belarusian people from the regime supporting Moscow’s war.“I deeply value our growing cooperation,” she wrote on X.“A free Belarus will be Ukraine’s reliable neighbor and strengthen our region’s security.”Tsikhanouskaya has supported efforts to secure the release of political prisoners but warned that individual releases should not be mistaken for genuine political change in Belarus. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.