- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said equipment positioned in Belarus near the border is helping Russian forces guide Shahed drones toward targets in western Ukraine, allowing them to bypass Ukrainian interception lines.
- Ukrainian officials and specialists say recent Shahed attacks have focused on rail and logistics infrastructure linking Ukraine with Poland, indicating an effort to disrupt cross-border supply routes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on December 26 that equipment positioned in Belarus near the Ukrainian border is helping Russian forces guide Shahed-type drones toward targets in Ukraine’s western regions.
According to Zelenskyy, this equipment enables Russian drone operators to bypass Ukraine’s interception lines and direct attacks deeper into western areas of the country, including key transport and logistics hubs.
“They see our interceptor lines and try to bypass them,” Zelenskyy said. “They do this thanks to Belarusian territory and the technical capabilities that Belarus provides them.”
The Ukrainian president said he convened the headquarters meeting on the same day to focus specifically on protection against Russian drones and to develop corresponding countermeasures. According to Zelenskyy, the discussion centered on how to respond to changes in Russian drone tactics and how to adapt Ukraine’s interception network accordingly.
Militarnyi has reported that Ukrainian officials and specialists have increasingly pointed to Belarus as a supporting element in Russia’s drone campaign, particularly as attacks expand deeper into western Ukraine. Kovel, located in Volyn region near key rail lines, has been targeted in recent weeks amid broader strikes on logistics infrastructure.
The assessment aligns with earlier statements by military radio technology specialist Serhiy “Flash” Beskrestnov, who has publicly argued that while Shahed drones enter Ukrainian airspace from Russia, they are controlled from Belarusian territory.
“Two days ago, ‘Shaheds’ attacked a train and then attacked a repair crew; the day before yesterday, ‘Shaheds’ attacked a railway bridge; last night, a locomotive depot,” Beskrestnov said. “All these attacks are on the Kyiv–Kovel railway line. The task of the enemy is to stop the operation of this logistics link between Ukraine and Poland. The attacks will continue.”
Beskrestnov added that drone control remains a key issue in understanding Russia’s evolving tactics. “Although ‘Shaheds’ enter from the Russian Federation, I continue to insist that they are controlled from the territory of the Republic of Belarus,” he said.
Ukrainian officials view the Kyiv–Kovel rail corridor as a critical logistics route linking Ukraine with Poland and other European partners. Disruptions along this line could affect the movement of military supplies, humanitarian aid, and commercial cargo. Recent strikes on rail infrastructure, depots, and maintenance crews suggest a focused campaign to degrade this corridor rather than isolated attacks.
Belarus has officially denied direct participation in Russian strikes against Ukraine, but Minsk has allowed Russian forces to use its territory, airspace, and infrastructure since the start of the war.