Russian Shahed Drone Operators Conduct Attacks on Ukraine From Belarus

Russia is using the territory of Belarus to control Shahed kamikaze drones during attacks on Ukraine.

This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a speech in Vilnius.

According to him, Russian strike drone operators conduct operations against Ukraine, including from the territory of Belarus. Belarusian territory is also used to maintain communications with drones during attacks on Ukraine.

It has been reported previously that Russian drones attempt to bypass Ukrainian air defense and drone interception systems by using Belarusian airspace.

“So far, Lukashenko <…> has more rights than the people of Belarus, unfortunately. There was a chance in 2020 to change this, and I am sure there will be another chance. But at that time, support for Belarusians was simply not enough, and now we all feel how much more difficult, how much more expensive, and how much more dangerous everything has become because of Belarus’s dependence on Moscow — a dependence that is not diminishing,” the Ukrainian president said.

He also recalled that Russia uses Belarus as a testing ground to threaten Europe and the world with Oreshnik missiles, that Belarusian industry supports Russia’s war effort, and that trade ties help Moscow circumvent sanctions.

At the end of December 2025, it was reported that construction of an ammunition production plant has been underway in Belarus since 2023 to meet the needs of both the Belarusian and Russian armies.

The plant is scheduled to be commissioned in 2026. Its output is expected to include 152 mm artillery ammunition and 122 mm unguided rockets.