Ukraine says Belarus reactivated signal relays helping Russian drones reach western regions
Belarus has reactivated signal relays that help Russian attack drones fly deeper into Ukraine, including toward regions bordering Poland, Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service said.
Border Guard spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said the relays operating from Belarus strengthen signals used by Russian Shahed and Gerbera drones.
According to Demchenko, the drones enter Ukraine from Russia and then fly close to the Belarusian border to maintain the signal, allowing them to reach western regions including Volyn, Rivne and Lviv oblasts.
He said Belarusian support was also used during a recent Russian attack toward the Yahodyn border crossing with Poland. A gas station near the crossing and a locomotive close to the Polish border were damaged in a Russian attack on Sept. 13.
Belarus had previously stopped operating the relays after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Minsk in June to remove equipment used to support Russian strikes. “Now they have turned them back on,” Demchenko said.
The spokesperson added that Ukraine currently sees no buildup of a strike force near the Belarusian border that would indicate preparations for a ground invasion.
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