Belarus Reactivates Relays Helping Russian Drones Strike Deeper Into Ukraine, Kyiv Says

Belarus has reactivated signal relays that help Russian attack drones penetrate deeper into Ukraine, including the western regions bordering Poland, Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service said. The equipment amplifies signals for Russian Shahed and Gerbera drones, allowing them to fly farther into Ukrainian territory after entering from Russia, according to Border Guard spokesperson Andriy Demchenko.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “Belarus is actively assisting Russia” with attacks on Ukraine, Demchenko told Ukrinform on Sept. 16. The relays allow Russian drones to stay close to the Belarusian border while receiving an amplified signal before moving deeper into Ukraine, including toward Rivne, Volyn and Lviv regions, he said. Demchenko also linked the Belarusian support to a Russian drone attack on the Yahodyn border crossing with Poland on Sept. 13. Russian drones struck a gas station near the crossing and a passenger train on the Kyiv-Warsaw railway line. The Yahodyn crossing is about 2 kilometers from the Polish border. The latest claim comes after a series of Russian drone attacks reaching western Ukraine. Ukrainian officials have previously said Russian drones flying along the Belarusian border have used relay equipment on Belarusian territory to maintain their signals. Belarus had turned the relays off The equipment had previously been switched off after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko in June to remove the relays from the border. Other Topics of Interest Ukraine Hits Russian Airfield, Major Oil Refinery in Massive Overnight Drone Attack The strikes reportedly hit a military airfield in Rostov and one of Russia’s five largest refineries, while falling debris caused power outages in four districts. Zelensky said at the time that if Lukashenko did not remove the equipment, Ukraine would do it itself. Several days later, Zelensky said the relays had stopped working as of June 22, although he said he did not know whether they had been physically dismantled. Demchenko now says the equipment has been switched on again. The Ukrainian Border Guard Service said there is currently no evidence of a Russian or Belarusian strike force building up near Ukraine’s border that would indicate preparations for a ground invasion. But Kyiv continues to regard the Belarusian direction as a source of military support for Russia’s drone campaign. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.