{"id":209895,"date":"2026-10-31T15:23:37","date_gmt":"2026-10-31T12:23:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/209895\/"},"modified":"2026-10-31T15:42:24","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T12:42:24","slug":"first-deputy-defense-minister-says-ukraine-is-intimidating-belarusian-border-residents","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/209895\/","title":{"rendered":"First deputy defense minister says Ukraine is intimidating Belarusian border residents, military personnel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n\n U\u0142adzimir Bie\u0142y\n <\/div>\n \n
\n (ont.by)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

October 31, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> Ukraine is constantly putting psychological pressure on residents of border areas and Belarusian military personnel, but the tensions are not escalating into a crisis, U\u0142adzimir Bie\u0142y, first deputy defense minister\/chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, told state television channel ONT<\/em> on Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Citing claims Belarus is hosting relay systems for Russian drone attacks on Ukraine, Bie\u0142y described Kyiv\u2019s \u201caccusatory rhetoric\u201d as its response to \u201cpolitical processes\u201d inside and outside Ukraine and warned that such behavior could spark \u201cborder incidents.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bie\u0142y said that Belarus maintains a \u201ccovering force\u201d in the south that includes special operations units, \u201cwhich are constantly on standby,\u201d as well as territorial defense and military units. In addition, the armed forces as forming an air assault unit that will be based in the Homiel region and have almost completed an infrastructure facility and finished training personnel and deploying equipment, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bie\u0142y sounded alarm about Poland\u2019s \u201cdisproportionate militarization,\u201d warning that Warsaw\u2019s plans to buy \u201chundreds of multiple-launch rocket systems\u201d are \u201ccausing us to adjust our plans.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bie\u0142y described Baltic states as militarily weaker than Poland but serving as a \u201cstaging ground for NATO.\u201d He said that Belarus needs a military alliance with Russia because Belarusian armed forces \u201ccannot oppose the entire NATO bloc\u201d on their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On June 19, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gave the Belarusian authorities one week to dismantle four drone-control relay systems allegedly used to facilitate Russian attacks on Ukraine. \u201cIf he [Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka] does not shut them down, we will shut down everything within a week. Either they will do it, or we will,\u201d he warned. Five days later, Zelensky said the relay systems had suspended operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reports by Ukrainian officials suggest that Belarus-based relay systems have been repeatedly switched on and off since then. Mobile relay systems appear to have been used much more actively, as Belarus fears that Ukraine will be able to track down stationary equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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