‘All they can expect here is death’: Ukrainian volunteers brace for Russian attack from Belarus

Members of Ukraine's Territorial Defence Forces attend a training session near the northern border with Belarus. © FRANCE 24 screengrab

Russia has built up its forces in Belarus and released footage of military drills along the border with Ukraine, stoking fears of a renewed assault on Kyiv’s defences from the north. FRANCE 24’s team on the ground met Ukrainian volunteers in the Zhytomyr region who are preparing to face another Russian attack.

Russia has been increasing its forces in Belarus since last October, shifting units that were beaten back by Ukraine’s counter-offensive in the east and south. The build-up has heightened fears that Moscow is planning to use Belarus as a launch pad for a fresh offensive – as it did at the start of the war in February 2022.