Russian Drones Breach Belarusian Airspace Again, Amid Night Strike on Ukraine

On the night of September 7, 2024, Belarus experienced an incursion of at least eight Russian drones, according to the monitoring project “Belaruski Hayun.” These drones were launched from Russian territory and included seven Shahed drones and, for the first time, a reconnaissance drone, the Supercam.

The first Shahed drone crossed into Belarus from Ukraine’s Chernihiv region around 11:00 PM, and approximately 40 minutes later, it returned to Ukraine. Several more Shahed drones entered Belarus at different times throughout the night. Meanwhile, at 08:13, data from YeRadar indicated the arrival of the Supercam reconnaissance drone in Belarus.

One of the Shahed drones reached the Grodno region, flying over Korelichi and Novogrudok towards the Lithuanian border. This was the first instance of such an intrusion being monitored. The drone may have traveled approximately 200 km north over Belarus. Its further trajectory remains unknown.

In response to the drone incursions, Belarusian fighters and helicopters were activated throughout the night. Fighters took off from Baranovichi Airport four times, while helicopters from Machulishchi were airborne twice. Aviation activity was noted not only in southern Belarus but also in the northern regions, such as Ostrovets and Vileika, suggesting the presence of multiple drones in the northern part of the country.

Earlier that night, Russia also conducted a drone attack on Ukraine. Reports indicate that 67 drones were detected and tracked, some of which veered off course and headed towards Russia, Belarus, and the temporarily occupied Luhansk region.

The Ukrainian Air Force reported numerous attacks, but most drones were intercepted by air defense systems. In Kyiv and surrounding areas, debris from downed drones caused minor damage to three private houses and fires in grassy areas.

Explosions were also heard in Mykolaiv, Khmelnytskyi, and Vinnytsia regions. Despite the numerous attacks, significant damage or casualties were not reported. In Kyiv, air defenses effectively neutralized all incoming drones, preventing them from reaching their targets.