Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reiterated warnings to Belarus not to get involved in Russia’s invasion, reporting unusual activity near the shared border.

In a video address on Saturday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready to respond, without detailing the suspicious activity along sections of the border. “We are closely documenting everything and keeping the situation under control,” he said, warning that “everyone who is being drawn into any aggressive actions against Ukraine must understand” the country’s readiness to defend its sovereignty.

Last month, Zelenskyy warned Minsk against entanglement, alleging Moscow would attempt to draw it into the war. He announced new roads and artillery positions along the border, accusing Russia of using apartment blocks in Belarus to launch attacks and circumvent Ukraine’s defenses in December.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion from Belarus in February 2022, but Belarus has not directly participated in combat.

Zelenskyy also reported a “brutal attack” on Kherson, with drones targeting civilian transport. Ukrainian media said at least two people were killed in a strike on a minibus in the Dniprovskyi district. Strikes were also reported in Dnipro, Odesa, Sumy, and Kharkiv, including a drone hitting an energy facility, though power was restored.

Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed advances on the front line, saying it took control of Myropillia in Sumy region on Saturday, and Novodmytrivka north of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk on Wednesday.

Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskii said Russian troops are pushing toward Kostiantynivka, part of a heavily defended “fortress belt area,” noting a noticeable increase in assaults in April.

Ukrainian officials reported Russia launched over 400 drones on Friday. Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones struck Russia’s Tuapse port for the fourth time in 16 days, part of what Zelenskyy called a “new stage in the use of Ukrainian weapons to limit the potential of Russia’s war.”

Source: www.aljazeera.com