The Belarusian Air Force allegedly shot down two Russian attack drones on September 5 near the city of Gomel, according to the monitoring group Belaruski Hajun. If true, this would be the first successful interception of Russian drones by Belarusian forces in their airspace.
The Kyiv Independent has not yet confirmed these claims, but this incident could show a shift in Belarus’s response to Russian drone activity during air raids on Ukraine.
Belaruski Hajun reports that multiple Belarusian fighter jets were scrambled around 1:30 a.m. local time to intercept the drones near Gomel, a city about 30 kilometers from the Ukraine-Belarus border.
Videos appearing to show drone debris falling over Gomel were shared on social media.
While Russian drones have flown into Belarusian airspace before, this would be the first confirmed case of Belarus shooting them down. A third Russian drone reportedly entered Belarusian airspace around 2:30 a.m., but no further details are available.
This comes after another incident on August 29, when Belarusian fighter jets tried but failed to shoot down a Russian drone. On August 26, six Russian drones also reportedly entered Belarusian airspace during another attack on Ukraine.
The Belarusian Defense Ministry has not commented on the situation. So far, Belarus has not publicly challenged Russia, its key ally, over these drone incursions. Recently, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko claimed his forces had shot down several Ukrainian drones, a claim disputed by Belaruski Hajun.
Though Belarus supports Russia’s war on Ukraine, its military has not been directly involved. Tensions have been rising, with Belarus moving military forces closer to the Ukraine border for what they claim are exercises.
