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Russia Is Using Belarus and Neighboring Countries to Route Drones Into Ukraine
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Russian forces are using the territory of Belarus and several neighboring countries to route attack drones toward Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s Air Force.
Yurii Ihnat, head of communications for the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said in a national telethon on April 7 that Russian drones are increasingly flying along routes that bypass Ukrainian air defenses.
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“The enemy uses the territory of Moldova, the unrecognized Transnistria, Romania, and Belarus for flights—this is already a fact. We have repeatedly reported that Russian drones are even heading toward targets not through Ukrainian territory, bypassing potential zones where they could be shot down,” Ihnat said.
He added that infrastructure in Belarus may be assisting these operations. “There may be certain towers or relays in Belarus that help the enemy control their systems,” Ihnat noted.
According to Ihnat, Ukrainian forces have repeatedly observed drones flying in succession along the border with Belarus toward western regions of Ukraine.
“We have often seen drones flying one after another toward our western regions directly along the border with Belarus. In order to make them more resistant to electronic warfare suppression and to ensure more of them get through, the enemy is likely using assistance from a neighboring state so that the drones can reach their targets without interference,” he said.
Ihnat also stated that he does not have precise information on the specific control points located in Belarus, but suggested that Ukrainian intelligence likely has more detailed data on the matter.
These claims come alongside reports that Ukraine has already taken steps to counter such cross-border drone operations. Earlier, in February, Ukrainian officials said they had destroyed relay infrastructure used by Russian Shahed drones on Belarusian territory, which had previously enabled reconnaissance flights over Kyiv.
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According to Ukrainian Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, the operation targeted a so-called “Mesh network” used by the drones to maintain communication and coordination.
“We managed to eliminate the Mesh network used by the Shaheds in the north, which had a positive impact on the defense capabilities of Kyiv and the central part of Ukraine,” he said.
Serhiy “Flash” Beskrestnov, an advisor to the Ministry of Defense, explained that the system relied on interconnected radio modems embedded in the drones, allowing them to act as relays for one another rather than relying on a single signal source.
“Under such a scheme, all Shaheds in the air are connected by radio to each other. As a result, several Shaheds can be shot down, and the connection will not be interrupted; it will simply pass through other Shaheds,” he added.
These developments align with broader concerns over Russia’s expanding drone infrastructure in and around Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow is preparing to increase the number of ground control stations used for long-range drones, including on occupied Ukrainian territory and in Belarus.
In a statement on Telegram following a briefing from Ukraine’s military intelligence chief Oleh Ivashchenko on March 23, Zelenskyy stated, “We have clear information that Russia is planning further deployment of ground control stations for long-range drones both on temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine and four stations on the territory of Belarus. We will respond accordingly.”
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