Belarus Ramps Up Air Defense Against Russian Shahed Drones

On Thursday, Belarus scrambled its fighter jets in response to two Russian Shahed drones that crossed into its airspace. Reports indicate that the drones entered the southeastern Gomel district, adjacent to Ukraine and Russia, around 1 a.m. local time, as noted by the Belarusian Hajun Project, an independent military monitoring group.

Belarus dispatched fighter jets from the Baranovichi air base at approximately 1:30 a.m., 2:20 a.m., and 3:10 a.m., according to the Hajun Project’s updates on Telegram.

The Context

These Iranian-made, unmanned Shahed drones have become a staple for Russia during its ongoing military operations in Ukraine. The Hajun Project previously mentioned that this incident marked the first use of aviation in Belarus to take down a Shahed drone.

What We Know

The Hajun Project reported hearing explosions in the Gomel region as Shahed drones were intercepted. They shared a video allegedly showing these drones “burning and falling” from the sky. Furthermore, local Telegram channels mentioned that debris from the drones resulted in fires.

The Belarusian government has not yet released a statement addressing these reports. Throughout the ongoing conflict, Belarus, a former Soviet state, has maintained close ties with Russia. Although Belarusian troops have not engaged directly in the war, Russian forces have conducted drills on Belarusian soil since before the conflict began, using the country to facilitate the invasion of Ukraine two years ago.

Meanwhile, Poland, an ally of Ukraine in NATO, has also had to scramble its jets to safeguard its airspace from Russian missile threats, which Moscow claims were inadvertent incursions.

Insights

Hanna Liubakova, a Belarusian journalist and non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council, remarked on X (formerly Twitter) that the Ukraine war is “close to Belarus,” sharing a video of the downed Shahed drones. She noted, “They were shot down in Belarus, and fighter jets were launched. The notification system, which has been continuously installed and tested since 2022, failed to alert the public, according to Flagshtok.”

What’s Next?

The Hajun Project reported that the Belarusian Armed Forces are currently searching for “unexploded missiles” that landed in border areas of the Gomel region, likely linked to the missiles fired to intercept the Russian Shaheds.