June 21, Pozirk. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reiterated and clarified his ultimatum that Belarus dismantle relay systems allegedly facilitating Russian drone attacks on Ukraine.
“Step number one is to stop technical support and direct assistance for the relay systems. Shut them down and show us that they have been shut down. Then the issue is closed,” he told TSN, as quoted by Ukrainska Pravda. “If he does not shut them down, we will shut down everything within a week. Either they will do it, or we will.”
“We are also sending them a signal: please stop supplying fuel to the Russian army. But this is only a signal, not a threat. We are simply saying that we see it,” Zelensky added.
Zelensky said that Ukraine had communicated its demands to Belarus through intelligence and military channels.
“The issue of relay systems is not new. This has been a long-running process that has resulted in casualties exclusively on the Ukrainian side,” he said.
“Łukašenka must demonstrate de-escalation, not just talk about it. And he must do so with actions, not with the words ‘I apologize.’ He can keep his apology for himself; we stopped buying it after the first day of the war,” Zelensky said, referring to the Belarusian leader’s recent public apology to him.
Earlier, Zelensky said that the network of relay stations had enabled strikes on energy and railway infrastructure, as well as on “ordinary cities and villages” in the Zhytomyr, Rivne and Volyn regions.
Drone control relay systems are elevated signal boosters mounted on towers, buildings or larger “mother drones” that extend the operational range and improve the video-link stability of unmanned aircraft. By bypassing geographic obstacles and the Earth’s curvature, they maintain a clear line of sight between a distant pilot and a low-flying drone. However, because these systems continuously transmit high-power radio signals, their fixed or airborne positions are highly vulnerable to detection and precision strikes.
