Updated
Updated · Meduza · Jun 24
Belarus Relay Stations Guiding Russian Drones Go Offline After Zelensky’s 1-Week Ultimatum
Updated
Updated · Meduza · Jun 24

Belarus Relay Stations Guiding Russian Drones Go Offline After Zelensky’s 1-Week Ultimatum

3 articles · Updated · Meduza · Jun 24

Summary

  • June 22 marked the shutdown of relay stations in Belarus that Ukraine says helped guide Russian drone strikes, Zelensky told reporters, citing updates from commander Oleksandr Syrsky and intelligence services.
  • The move followed Zelensky’s June 19 demand that Alexander Lukashenko remove the stations within a week or face Ukrainian action against them.
  • Ukrainian officials say the antennas on Belarusian territory fed two-way video links for long-range Russian drones such as Geran and Gerbera, supporting mesh-network communications used in attacks on Kyiv.
  • Border guards have already logged fewer Russian strike-drone flights through Chernihiv and no mass Shahed transits along the Belarus-Ukraine border, though it remains unclear whether the equipment was dismantled or merely switched off.
  • Lukashenko has not commented publicly, leaving open whether the outage signals a lasting curb on drone operations from the Belarus direction.

Insights

Was the 2024 repeater shutdown a Ukrainian victory or a calculated Russian tactical retreat?
How did Russia's drone tactics evolve after its Belarusian signal repeaters went dark in 2024?
Did Lukashenko's 2024 concession to Ukraine signal a lasting shift in his allegiance to Russia?