Belarusian forces destroyed some drones that went off course during overnight strikes between Russia and Ukraine. At the same time, Chief of the General Staff and First Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Muraveyko described the Russian UAVs as having “lost their course” due to electronic warfare.
Muraveyko said that on the night of September 10, Belarus’ air defense duty units tracked drones that veered off their routes under the influence of electronic warfare systems. Some of them were allegedly shot down over Belarusian territory.
“During the overnight exchange of drone strikes between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, the on-duty forces and assets of the air defense of the Republic of Belarus continuously tracked unmanned aerial vehicles that lost their course as a result of electronic warfare employed by both sides. Some of the wayward drones were destroyed by our country’s air defense forces over the territory of the Republic,” Muraveyko said.
According to him, from 11 p.m. on September 9 to 4 a.m. on September 10, Belarusian troops exchanged air picture data with counterparts in Poland and Lithuania. He said that allowed Warsaw to scramble air defenses in time and respond to approaching drones.
Belarus’ General Staff also said the Polish side informed Minsk about unidentified drones approaching from the direction of Ukraine. Muraveyko called the exchanges “a confidence-building measure that strengthens regional security” and said Belarus would continue sharing airspace data with Poland and the Baltic states.
“To be fair, it should be noted that the Polish side also informed Belarus’ on-duty combat crews about unidentified aerial vehicles approaching the border of the Republic of Belarus from the territory of Ukraine. Sharing information about the air situation is an important component of overall regional security and helps build confidence and strengthen safety,” Muraveyko emphasized.
During the overnight attack on Ukraine on September 10, some Russian drones entered Polish airspace. Warsaw reported multiple incursions and said air defenses and fighter jets were deployed to counter objects that posed a threat.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk denounced a “large-scale provocation” and an “unprecedented violation of airspace.” Various estimates say 19 drones entered Poland, most of them coming from Belarus. Preliminary reports said Polish forces shot down four Russian UAVs over the country.
