{"id":96474,"date":"2024-07-19T14:42:13","date_gmt":"2024-07-19T11:42:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/96474\/"},"modified":"2026-04-15T13:35:32","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T13:35:32","slug":"russian-drones-over-belarus","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/96474\/","title":{"rendered":"Russian drones over Belarus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>On July 16, a Shahed drone crashed in the Homiel region, 55 kilometers off the city of Babruisk, <em>Be\u0142aruski Hajun <\/em>reported.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"block-image block-image-normal\">\n\n    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1128\" height=\"752\" src=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/shahed_ukraina_1128_20240318.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/shahed_ukraina_1128_20240318.jpg 1128w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/shahed_ukraina_1128_20240318-354x236.jpg 354w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/shahed_ukraina_1128_20240318-734x490.jpg 734w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/shahed_ukraina_1128_20240318-178x118.jpg 178w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/shahed_ukraina_1128_20240318-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1128px) 100vw, 1128px\" \/>\n    <figcaption>\n                    <div class=\"block-image__descr\">\n\n                The Russian drone Geran (Shahed) found in Ukraine\u2019s Vinnitsa region in March after an attack\n            <\/div>\n        \n                    <div class=\"block-image__author\">\n                                <span>(npu.gov.ua)<\/span>\n            <\/div>\n            <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It was the fourth Russian kamikaze drone to enter Belarusian airspace since July 11, it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A Belarusian Mi-24 helicopter took off at 9:10 a.m. from the Ma\u010duli\u0161\u010dy airfield in the Minsk region, and a Su-30 fighter aircraft took off at 9:15 a.m. from Baranavi\u010dy, Brest region, in an apparent response to the incursions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ukrainian air defenses downed two Shaheds on July 15 and 16, while two others went missing in Belarus, the Ukrainian Air Force reported without specifying the launch site of the unmanned aerial vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Fighting windmills<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Two days earlier, \u0141uka\u0161enka ordered troops to return from the Belarusian-Ukrainian border to their permanent bases, his press office reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNow we have no complications with the Ukrainians, and I hope there will be none,\u201d he said during his visit to the 56th Anti-aircraft Missile Regiment in the Brest region on July 13.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAfter we did some work, the Ukrainians withdrew their Armed Forces and additional troops from the Ukrainian-Belarusian border area,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking on July 16 at a meeting with Military Academy graduates and senior officers, \u0141uka\u0161enka said that Minsk and Kyiv had reached the deal: &#8220;they withdrew their forces, we withdrew our troops.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He promised a harsh response &#8220;to any provocation.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe must stand firm and not allow our enemies to drag Belarus into a military conflict,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The remark came on the day the Russian kamikaze drone was spotted over Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So who is really endangering the peaceful life of Belarusians?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>So much for the peaceful skies<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Citing a Ukrainian threat, \u0141uka\u0161enka deployed his troops to the southern border and then retreated, claiming that he scared the hell out of Kyiv. Ukrainian analysts see the maneuvers as a psychological operation in the interests of Moscow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, it is highly doubtful that Kyiv, struggling to contain the Russian onslaught, would transfer combat-ready units to the northern border. Why would it? After all, there is currently no Russian strike group in Belarus capable of successfully attacking Ukraine from the north.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u0141uka\u0161enka and his generals are rattling their armor but clearly do not want to fight. Ukraine will not attack Belarus as it struggles to hold its ground on the current fronts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So this whole story painted by the Belarusian ruler, his military and propaganda looks like a big hoax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the flights of Russian attack drones with explosives over Belarus are a concern. After all, a drone can explode anywhere, fall on a city or a big factory. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Mogilev, an air raid siren went off when the UAV flew nearby. And although state propaganda has carefully suppressed the story and continues to falsely portray Belarus as an island of peace and stability, the Belarusians must be concerned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Any reason for Moscow to worry?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Why did Russian drones suddenly start flying to Belarus? It was not just a technical error because at least four incidents were recorded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Russia is experimenting with routes over Belarus to avoid countermeasures by mobile groups that can shoot drones down over the Zhytomyr region, said Oleksandr Musienko, head of Ukraine\u2019s Military Law Research Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pavlo Narozhny, a Ukrainian defense analyst, wrote that &#8220;this could be the work of our Ukrainian electronic warfare system, which either simply jams the drone\u2019s GPS or generates spoofing signals.&#8221; Some of these drones entered Belarusian airspace from Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alarmists suggested that Russia wants to draw Belarus into the war by staging a major accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or perhaps it was a sign of Moscow\u2019s discontent with \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s attempt to somewhat distance himself from the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After all, he has been playing a very peace-loving tune lately, hinting at some deals with Kyiv, so Moscow might want to show who is really in charge of the Belarusian skies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Shahed flights may prompt Ukraine to use skies over Belarus to fly its drones targeting Russian installations. Commentators in Kyiv already talk about this option. Then it would be a major problem, and sooner or later it might escalate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The presence of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus also increases the risk of the country falling victim to the Kremlin&#8217;s military gambles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, while \u0141uka\u0161enka fights imaginary threats from Ukrainians and Poles, the real trouble comes from Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also read: <a href=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/95956\/\">Ukrainian Air Force confirms Shahed incursions into Belarus<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On July 16, a Shahed drone crashed in the Homiel region, 55 kilometers off the city of Babruisk, Be\u0142aruski Hajun reported. It was the fourth Russian kamikaze drone to enter Belarusian airspace since July 11, it said. A Belarusian Mi-24 helicopter took off at 9:10 a.m. from the Ma\u010duli\u0161\u010dy airfield in the Minsk region, and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":87,"featured_media":96027,"template":"","rubric":[24],"class_list":["post-96474","longreads","type-longreads","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rubric-theviewer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Russian drones over Belarus | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"On July 16, a Shahed drone crashed in the Homiel region, 55 kilometers off the city of Babruisk, Be\u0142aruski Hajun reported. 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