Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexander Syrsky said new brigades must be formed because of the alleged threat of an attack from Belarus. According to him, any expansion of the front line inevitably requires additional forces.

Syrsky argued that in wartime, initiative is either seized or surrendered, with no third option. He said that if the front expands both in width and depth, defence planning becomes a matter of basic calculations, making the creation of new units necessary.

The commander-in-chief also claimed that Russian forces had adjusted their plans and intend to form additional divisions and five brigades in 2026.

Earlier, Russia’s permanent representative to the CSTO, Viktor Vasilyev, pointed to a worsening situation on the border between Ukraine and Belarus, as well as regular UAV activity by the Armed Forces of Ukraine toward Russian territory.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov also recently said that Moscow is ready to provide Belarus with comprehensive support in the event of threats, including from Ukraine.