Ukraine's Zelenskiy orders moves to strengthen northern military sector

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy ordered top military commanders on Friday to strengthen Ukraine's northern military sector following the arrival of Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in Belarus. He said a meeting with government and military leaders had also heard a report from Ukrainian intelligence and security forces about the situation in Belarus, Ukraine's northern neighbour.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy ordered top military commanders on Friday to strengthen Ukraine's northern military sector following the arrival of Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in Belarus.

He said a meeting with government and military leaders had also heard a report from Ukrainian intelligence and security forces about the situation in Belarus, Ukraine's northern neighbour. "The decision...is for Commander-in-Chief (Valeriy) Zaluzhnyi and 'North' commander (Serhiy) Naev to implement a set of measures to strengthen this direction," Zelenskiy said on the Telegram messaging app.

He did not mention Wagner Group boss Prigozhin in the brief post on Telegram. Prigozhin flew from Russia into exile in Belarus on Tuesday under a deal negotiated by President Alexander Lukashenko that ended his mercenaries' mutiny in Russia on Saturday.

Media have reported that Wagner could set up a new base at a vacant military facility near the town of Asipovichi, about 90 km (50 miles) from the Belarusian capital, Minsk. Zelenskiy said the situation in other frontline areas, supplies of artillery and shells, and advances by Ukrainian troops against Russia's occupying forces were also discussed at the meeting.

After pushing Russian out of northern regions last year, Ukraine implemented measures to tighten the defence of its border with Belarus, a close ally of Russia.