Syrsky Bets on Drones as Ukraine Fortifies Northern Border

Ukraine is bolstering its northern flank near Belarus, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Oleksandr Syrsky said on Tuesday.

Following a meeting on reserve forces, Syrsky announced measures to reinforce defenses in the north, with a particular focus on expanding drone capabilities.

To bolster defenses near Belarus, he said Ukraine will form new drone units in the area, while existing units will continue expanding their capabilities. He did not elaborate on the details.

Syrsky said he also reviewed reports on restoring combat readiness in units returning from missions and supplying them with new weapons and equipment, calling the resupply “one of our key priorities.”

Modernizing the military command

Syrsky also hinted at the growing roles of non-commissioned officers (NCOs) within the Ukrainian military.

“It is the sergeants who form the backbone of a unit’s combat capability and serve as a crucial link between commanders and servicemen,” Syrsky said.

He added that future commanders should primarily be selected from soldiers who have proven themselves in combat and demonstrated leadership qualities and authority among their comrades.

Syrsky also announced a significant expansion of the unmanned component within these units.

“This will significantly increase unit capabilities in reconnaissance, enemy engagement, and protection of designated areas of responsibility,” the statement says.

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Threats from Belarus

Ukraine said threats from Belarus have declined but not disappeared.

On Sunday, State Border Guard Service spokesperson Andriy Demchenko said Russia has reduced the activity of sabotage and reconnaissance groups in the border Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions.

“Over a long period, the activity of enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups has decreased. The enemy understands it has a different task – creating a buffer zone – and infantry groups are better suited for that,” Demchenko said.

He cautioned, however, that the threat has not disappeared entirely.

“It cannot be said that this threat has dropped to zero, but the level of activity seen earlier is, fortunately, no longer being recorded,” he added.

In early June, Demchenko also warned of possible provocations from Belarus toward Kyiv and western Ukraine, similar to those seen in 2022.

“There may be provocations in the direction of Kyiv. There may also be provocations along the western section aimed at disrupting logistics routes. We saw this in 2022 as well,” he said.

According to Demchenko, Ukraine must prepare for the worst-case scenario.

Minsk’s 180-degree turn in rhetoric

On Tuesday, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko ruled out Minsk joining Russia’s war against Ukraine and dismissed Kyiv’s warnings that Russia could launch a new offensive from Belarus.

“We have said many times that it is absolutely unacceptable for the war between Ukraine and Russia to spill over onto the territory of Belarus,” Lukashenko said, adding that he had discussed the issue with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.

According to Lukashenko, Putin acknowledged that Belarus’s entering the war “in any capacity” would be unacceptable.

He said Belarus has already suffered enough historically and openly admitted its military vulnerability, warning that the country is “laid out like an open palm” to Ukrainian forces if fighting expands.

Lukashenko also said Belarusian involvement would dramatically widen the front and could trigger direct NATO involvement.

“And this war would take on a new dimension. It would become a war between Belarus and Russia against NATO,” he said.

He also cited humanitarian reasons, pointing to deep family ties between Belarusians and Ukrainians.

“Even my own roots, my ancestors’ graves are somewhere between Chernihiv and Kyiv. Are we supposed to forget it and start a war? No,” he said.

Addressing past criticism of President Volodymyr Zelensky, Lukashenko said he may have gone too far and apologized for his harsh remarks, calling Zelensky a “young, inexperienced man.”