Russian combat drone explodes in Belarus

A Russian combat drone which entered Belarusian airspace crash landed and exploded on impact, military monitoring group Belarusian Hajun said on Tuesday evening.

The military analysts said a Shahed kamikaze drone entered Belarus at 8:40am and crashed in the southeastern Homyel region, 55 km from the city of Babruysk and 120 km from the border with Ukraine.

The military analysts said the explosion proved that it was not a training or reconnaissance drone, but a combat one, intended for an attack on Ukraine.

Belarusian Hajun said there have been multiple incursions within a week, with drones also entering Belarus on 11 and 13 July, though those left the country’s airspace to head for Ukraine. The military analysts said a Belarusian Air Force helicopter and fighter jet had both been deployed on 11 July to the area where the first drone, which was in Belarusian airspace for at least an hour, was observed.

The Belarusian authorities have not yet commented on the incidents, but Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko announced on 13 July that Belarus would withdraw the troops stationed near the Ukrainian border as the situation there had “stabilised”, and urged the two sides in the conflict to begin peace negotiations.

An increased number of Russian troops have been stationed in Belarus, which is considered Russia’s closest ally, since Lukashenko asked Russia for military assistance following the outbreak of protests after the August 2020 presidential election, which Lukashenko is widely believed to have stolen.