KYIV — The commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert Brovdi, has issued a stark warning to Belarusian leader Aliaksandr Lukashenka, stating that the Ukrainian military has already identified 500 potential targets within Belarus. The warning comes amid heightened tensions over Minsk’s potential deeper involvement in Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
“The first 500 targets have already been identified. Free and very practical advice: do not stick in Ukraine's craw,” Brovdi wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday. Brovdi, known by his call sign “Magyar,” leads Ukraine’s drone operations and has been instrumental in recent strikes against Russian infrastructure.
Brovdi’s remarks were a direct response to threats from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who on Monday announced plans for “systematic strikes on targets in Kyiv.” The Ukrainian commander pointed out that nine out of 13 Russian oil refineries have ceased operations following attacks by Ukrainian drones under his command.
Belarus’s Role in the War
Concerns are growing in Kyiv that Belarus may be drawn deeper into the conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in Kyiv on Tuesday, just days after Lukashenka proposed a meeting with Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy openly mocked the proposal, noting the timing of Tsikhanouskaya’s visit.
“Lukashenka said that it is time for the presidents of Ukraine and Belarus to meet and then Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has arrived,” Zelenskyy said, highlighting the absurdity of negotiating with a leader widely seen as a Kremlin puppet.
Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine has never posed a threat to Belarus. “We value every expression of support from Belarusians for a free Ukraine, and we know that the day will come when good-neighbourly relations between our states are restored on the basis of the genuine independence of both Ukraine and Belarus from Moscow,” he said.
The Ukrainian president also thanked Belarusians who stand with Ukraine, noting that “the fate of both our independence and the independence of every nation bordering Russia is being decided.”
Last week, Zelenskyy warned that Kyiv is prepared to take “preventive” measures against Moscow and the Belarusian leadership over potential military threats to northern Ukraine. This came amid a Russia-Belarus nuclear exercise and rising tensions with European NATO members, sparked by drone incursions in the Baltic region. The situation has drawn parallels to NATO drills near the Russian border, where European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen flagged the growing drone threat.
“The de facto leadership of Belarus must stay on its toes, that is, clearly understand that there will be consequences if aggressive actions against Ukraine, against our people, are taken,” Zelenskyy said during a visit to Slavutych, a city just 50 kilometres from the Belarusian border.
The warning from Brovdi underscores Ukraine’s growing capability to strike deep into enemy territory, a development that has already disrupted Russian energy infrastructure. As the war enters its third year, the threat of Belarusian involvement remains a critical concern for Kyiv and its European allies.
