Confidential details not disclosed: NATO Secretary General says Belarus deeply involved in operations against Ukraine
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte declined to comment on specific details regarding the shutdown of relay stations in southern Belarus, stating that some information remains classified. He emphasized that NATO must not underestimate Minsk’s role in Russia’s war against Ukraine, as Belarus has long been deeply influenced by Kremlin control.
This statement was made by Rutte during a press briefing ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara.
Journalists at the scene asked whether NATO had knowledge of the true cause behind the shutdown of relay stations inside Belarus—previously announced by Zelenskyy as having ceased functioning. They pressed further: Was it an intentional action by Belarusian authorities, or did Ukrainian forces destroy them? Rutte did not address these specifics, only noting that “certain information is under confidentiality.”
Rutte stressed that Belarus is heavily influenced by Russia, with its political and military decisions largely dictated by the Kremlin. “We must not entertain naive illusions about Belarus’s role; the country lies entirely under Moscow’s immense influence,” he said.
Rutte stated that many actions taken by Minsk are actually driven by the Russian leadership, personally led by Putin himself. He added that NATO’s assessment of Belarus’s role in the conflict aligns with Zelenskyy’s position. The Ukrainian president has repeatedly expressed concern over Belarus assisting Russia in launching military strikes.
Ukrainian officials claim that in February this year, Russian forces deployed a drone command relay station system across the entire territory of Belarus. This equipment significantly enhanced Russia’s ability to strike northern Ukrainian regions, covering areas from Kyiv Oblast to Volyn Oblast.
On June 19, Zelenskyy released a video message to Belarus, issuing a final ultimatum: Multiple drone signal relay stations were located along the Belarus-Ukraine border, used to correct targeting coordinates for Russian drones. There were four key facilities in Gomel Oblast and Brest Oblast. Russian forces relied on these sites to attack Zhytomyr Oblast, Rivne Oblast, Volyn Oblast, as well as local energy and railway infrastructure.
Zelenskyy declared in a statement, “If Lukashenko does not shut down this equipment, we will do it ourselves. One week will be enough for him to handle it.”
On June 21, Zelenskyy publicly reminded Lukashenko, demanding Belarus completely cease providing any technical support to Russian military operations.
On June 24, Zelenskyy announced that the Belarusian relay stations used to guide Russian attacks on Ukrainian territory had all ceased operation starting June 22, with intelligence sourced from Ukraine’s General Staff and intelligence agencies.
Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat previously stated that the shutdown of relay stations greatly weakened Russia’s real-time remote control capability over drones, though it would not alter Russia’s overall tactics—Russian forces would continue to conduct hybrid attacks using drones and various missiles.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1870017668358156/
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