Ukraine says Russia taps Belarus LTE and repeaters for Shahed drone strikes
Ukrainian officials claim Russia is using Belarusian mobile networks and signal repeaters to guide Shahed drones in recent attacks on western Ukraine.
Ukraine's security officials say Russia is exploiting Belarusian LTE infrastructure and radio repeaters to maintain control of Shahed-type drones used in a large-scale strike on western Ukrainian oblasts. Presidential Advisor Serhii Beskretnov observed that the drones' flight paths hugged the Belarus border, leading him to infer connectivity to Belarusian commercial networks. On the same day, State Border Guard Service spokesperson Andrii Demchenko confirmed that repeaters situated in Belarus transmitted signals to the Russian air assets.
The attacks, which targeted Rivne, Volyn and Lviv, were launched from positions within Belarusian territory. Kyiv has repeatedly urged Minsk to dismantle the equipment, citing it as a source of tension between the two capitals. The reliance on such technology underscores Russia's efforts to sustain drone operations despite limited access to satellite services like Starlink.
Why it matters
It shows how neighboring Belarus may be facilitating Russia's drone warfare against Ukraine.
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