🟧 BELARUS RELAY STATIONS DISRUPTED, WEAKENING RUSSIAN DRONE OPERATIONS
   The shutdown of relay stations in Belarus has significantly reduced Russia’s ability to control its kamikaze drones in real time, according to Yuriy Ihnat, head of the Communications Directorate of the Ukrainian Air Force.
The relay stations, positioned along the Belarus-Ukraine border, acted as signal extenders, allowing Russian drone operators to maintain communication with attack drones over much greater distances than would otherwise be possible.
Their loss carries important battlefield consequences.
Without those relay stations, Russian operators face a more difficult task maintaining stable control of drones during long-range missions. This limits their ability to make real-time course corrections, identify emerging targets, react to Ukrainian air defenses, and coordinate attacks as conditions change.
In modern drone warfare, maintaining a reliable communications link is just as important as the drone itself.
According to Ihnat, the disruption has significantly weakened Russia’s ability to coordinate operations in these regions, reducing the effectiveness of one of Moscow’s most heavily used weapons.
It is another reminder that in today’s war, destroying the enemy’s communications can be just as valuable as destroying the drones themselves.
BELARUS RELAY STATIONS DISRUPTED, WEAKENING RUSSIAN DRONE OPERATIONS
