President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that equipment has been installed near the border in Belarus to help guide Shahed drones towards targets in Ukraine's western regions.
Source: Zelenskyy on X (Twitter) on 26 December; Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov, a Ukrainian expert in military radio technology
Quote from Zelenskyy: "According to our intelligence, equipment that is used for strikes against Ukraine and located in Belarus along the border is also mounted on residential buildings. Antennas and other equipment helping to guide Shahed drones towards targets in our western regions are literally put on the roofs of ordinary five-storey apartment blocks. This is an absolute disregard for human life, and Minsk must stop playing these games. We will inform our partners and prepare joint responses."
Details: Military communications expert Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov insists that although Shahed drones enter Ukrainian airspace from Russia, they are being guided from Belarusian territory.
Quote from Beskrestnov: "Two days ago Shaheds attacked a train, then struck a repair crew. The day before yesterday Shaheds attacked a railway bridge, and last night they attacked a locomotive depot.
All these attacks are targeting the Kyiv-Kovel railway line. The enemy's objective is to stop this logistics link between Ukraine and Poland from operating. The attacks will continue.
Although Shaheds enter from Russia, I continue to maintain that they are guided from the territory of the Republic of Belarus."
Details: Zelenskyy added that both funding for interceptor drone production and the structure of supplies to the troops had been discussed in detail at a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.
Quote from Zelenskyy: "There is criticism coming directly from units regarding the distribution of drones. I instructed the first deputy prime minister, together with the minister of defence and Unmanned Systems Forces command, to modernise the drone distribution system so that more units can be supplied with the necessary number of drones."
Background: Commenting on recent Russian air attacks on the town of Kovel in Volyn Oblast, Zelenskyy said Russian drones are able to bypass Ukrainian air defence lines thanks to technical support from Belarus.
AliceLunar on December 26th, 2025 at 19:48 UTC »
Always feels like Belarus is getting off easy, literally was a staging ground for the war and fully complicit in this whole thing.
AstronomerKooky5980 on December 26th, 2025 at 19:01 UTC »
Well, of course. Belarus was not only complicit in the attack, but actively supported it more than any other country.
In my book, there are 2 aggressors here: Russia AND Belarus.
piponwa on December 26th, 2025 at 18:47 UTC »
Belarus is a party to the war since day 0. Lukashenka allowed Putin to use Belarus to commit the crime of aggression. They have hosted russian forces, supplied them. They have used belarussian territory to let russia continue to distract by threatening to invade from the North again. Belarus is a party to this war and any attacks on them were already justified. Now, who can blame Ukraine for going after those defense installations in belarus that are used daily to attack them? I think Ukraine should spook Belarus. It's an extremely fragile country and russia could not hold belarus if civil unrest started like during the last stolen election.