Zelenskyy instructs to strengthen defense on border with Belarus 

He reported this on Telegram.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, along with other military leaders, provided an update on the situation on the battlefield and the progress of the Defense Forces. During the meeting, the participants discussed the addition of artillery systems and shells to reinforce the units.

Zelenskyy shared that there is a separate report from the GUR, Foreign Intelligence Service, SBU, and State Border Guard Service regarding the situation in Belarus, which is being closely monitored.

Furthermore, as per the decision of the Headquarters, Chief Commander Zaluzhnyi and the commander of the Northern Front Nayev will take steps to strengthen this particular direction.

What is currently known about the situation on the border with Belarus

At the start of the year, there were around 10,000-11,000 Russian troops in Belarus. In May, some of these soldiers who had completed training in Belarus were sent back to Russia. The plan was for them to join the occupying forces in eastern Ukraine.

On June 22, Andriy Demchenko, a spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (DPSU), mentioned a small increase in the number of Russian troops in Belarus. However, he stated that the forces present there were not sufficient for another invasion of Ukraine.

On June 26, Serhii Nayev, the commander of the Combined Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, announced the completion of psychological and tactical obstacle courses in the northern part of the country. However, some Wagner mercenaries moved to Belarus after Prigozhin's rebellion.

On June 30, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, expressed concerns about Wagner and other potential threats. He emphasized the need to prepare for the worst-case scenarios while minimizing the potential consequences.