- Category
- Latest news
“Three or Four Are Gone”: Zelenskyy Hints Ukrainian Strikes Took Out Shahed Drone Infrastructure Inside Belarus
- Authors
![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Ukraine has likely destroyed several drone relay installations used to guide Iranian-designed Shahed attack drones from Belarusian territory, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested, indicating a widening technological dimension of the war beyond Ukraine’s borders, Zelenskyy said on February 23.
Speaking about evolving threats posed by Russian long-range drone attacks, Zelenskyy said new relay stations deployed inside Belarus have played a critical role in directing strikes against Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure.
We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field.
According to the President, these installations represent newly introduced military infrastructure rather than legacy systems previously stationed in Belarus.
“Now Belarus definitely knows what is happening on its territory,” Zelenskyy said. “It can no longer be said, as Lukashenko once told me after the full-scale invasion began, that Russian missiles were launched but they had long been stationed in Belarus, and that it wasn’t under Belarusian control.”
Now Belarus definitely knows what is happening on its territory. It can no longer be said, as Lukashenko once told me after the full-scale invasion began, that Russian missiles were launched but they had long been stationed in Belarus, and that it wasn’t under Belarusian control.… pic.twitter.com/mYEgTDMPIW
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 23, 2026
Zelenskyy explained that modern Shahed drone operations increasingly rely on relay equipment that enables mid-flight guidance and targeting adjustments, significantly improving strike accuracy.
“Now the relay stations for modern ‘shahed’ drones are new installations that have appeared on the territory of Belarus and help attack our people and energy infrastructure. These relay stations enable drone guidance,” he said.
The Ukrainian President then hinted that Kyiv had already taken action against several of these sites.
“We did everything so that three or four of them are no longer there. We had to do this because Russia used jet-powered drones, but not only through Belarus. They did not just pass through their territory – they operated with technological support from the territory of Belarus.”
While Zelenskyy did not explicitly confirm Ukrainian cross-border strikes, his remarks strongly suggest targeted operations aimed at degrading the drone guidance network supporting Russian attacks.
He also warned that Belarus may become further integrated into Russia’s military plans, pointing to preparations for deploying new missile systems on Belarusian territory.
“The next step is the preparation of a site for the deployment of Oreshnik on the territory of Belarus,” Zelenskyy said, adding that responsibility for these developments now rests directly with the Belarusian leadership.
-1d9fa7480e5881fc68e774e53f4fa441.jpg)
“This is all about new steps, not old ones that did not depend on Lukashenko, as he previously claimed. Now it definitely depends on him.”
Zelenskyy concluded by warning that the growing military cooperation between Minsk and Moscow carries increasing risks for Belarus itself.
“And therefore we are now at a moment when, in my opinion, Belarusians must understand all the risks.”
Earlier, in a major cyber operation, Ukrainian hackers uncovered how Russian drone operators used Belarusian infrastructure to enhance their strike capabilities.
Ukrainian experts successfully infiltrated Russian military drone operator accounts, allowing them to monitor real-time operations and provide critical intelligence to Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
-457ad7ae19a951ebdca94e9b6bf6309d.png)
-c439b7bd9030ecf9d5a4287dc361ba31.jpg "Photo of Katherina Popilnichenko")
-091ec11af562232db5201a28ee353e09.jpg "Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber with three PTB-3000 external fuel tanks, 2022. (Source: SCIMlTAR/Reddit)")