Ukrainian President Imposes Sanctions on Belarus for Aiding Russian Drone Operations

On February 18, 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy imposed sanctions against Belarusian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka for facilitating Russia’s war against Ukraine. The sanctions cite Russia’s deployment of a system of repeaters in Belarus during the second half of 2025 to control attack drones. Ukrainian hackers uncovered details of how Russian drone operators are leveraging Belarusian infrastructure to extend their operational range. The findings were published by InformNapalm, linking Belarus directly to the escalation of Russia’s military aggression. No specific technical details or vulnerabilities were disclosed in the report.