Russia is creating sites for launching combat drones near the borders of Belarus. Here's where
Over two years, one of the main routes for Russian drone attacks against Ukraine has passed through Belarus. "Svaboda" (RFE/RL's Belarusian service) has identified and analyzed a network of Russian airfields and launch complexes that have emerged near the Belarusian border in recent years and can be used to launch hundreds of attack drones.
"At 12:03 PM, I heard a loud hum in the sky. I went out onto the balcony and saw a drone flying over the Slutsk Sugar Factory towards Navadvortsy. I was so surprised I didn't manage to take a picture. 20 minutes later, I heard it twice more in the sky, but saw nothing. Many locals heard and saw it, but everyone is afraid to write about it. People are afraid of going to prison for it. It's awful! Where do we live?" — a city resident wrote privately to a "Svaboda" journalist about the incident of Russian "Shaheds" falling near Slutsk on June 2, 2026.
In the last three years, Belarus has faced an unprecedented number of combat drone incursions into its territory. Even rare official statements by Belarusian military personnel and officials indicate that there have been more than a thousand airspace violations per year.
Thus, according to the Commander of the Air Force and Air Defense Forces (ADF) Andrei Lukyanovich, over 1400 violations of airspace rules were recorded in 2025 alone. And according to the commander of the internal troops Nikolai Karpenkov, about 520 drones were defused on the territory of Belarus in 2025, one-third of which were combat drones.
In 2026, Belarusian security forces for the first time admitted that drone incursions occur "practically every day." According to State Secretary of the Security Council Alexander Volfovich, 116 cases of air border violations were recorded in just one week of May.
Work on neutralizing a drone similar to a Russian "Shahed" that flew into Belarusian territory. Video from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus, published on March 18, 2026
However, official Minsk never calls such drones Russian. Their affiliation is usually not specified, or it is claimed that they are Ukrainian drones. However, Ukrainian military personnel have regularly reported the opposite in recent months: Russian "Shaheds" and "Gerbers" use the airspace of Belarus and its border areas for attacks on Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and western regions of Ukraine.
According to a statement by the representative of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, Andriy Demchenko, on June 6, most drones launched by Russia during mass attacks on Ukraine fly through Belarus. And the number of such cases is growing.
The first Russian drones began flying into Belarus in July 2024. As "Svaboda" found out, this coincided with the construction of large-scale launch complexes for drones on Russian territory near the Belarusian border, some of them only a few tens of kilometers away. There are at least five of them. They appeared in the Bryansk, Oryol, and Smolensk regions of Russia. Since then, Russian drones have regularly flown into Belarus.
The flight path of drones from most of these sites towards Kyiv or the western regions of Ukraine almost always passes near Belarusian territory. According to Ukrainian military expert Anatol Hrapchynski, such a placement of launch complexes near the borders of Belarus is one of the most advantageous for Russian attacks.
"This is the most advantageous placement, allowing strikes directly on Kyiv or directing drones along the border towards Western Ukraine," Hrapchynski said in an interview with "Svaboda".
Detonation of a drone that flew into Belarusian territory by military personnel of the internal troops of Belarus. Video from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus, published on March 18, 2026
Ukrainian military personnel have repeatedly reported such tactics in recent months. The head of the Air Force Command communication department of Ukraine, Yuri Ihnat, noted in an interview with "Svaboda" that Russian drones deliberately "hug" the Belarusian border when heading towards the western regions of Ukraine. According to him, such tactics are used to complicate the work of Ukrainian air defense.
"They use the border region of Belarus. The day before yesterday [June 3], there was a case where a drone flew into Belarusian territory, then returned and was destroyed near Zhytomyr," said Yuri Ihnat, a representative of the Ukrainian Air Force.
Yuri Ihnat also notes that the proximity of launch complexes to the border with Ukraine allows Russian military personnel to increase the combat load of drones due to a lesser need for fuel to reach targets.
The Ukrainian side also does not rule out that the territory of Belarus serves as an auxiliary element of infrastructure for such attacks. According to Hrapchynski, Russian drones may use communication channels and signal relay stations deployed on Belarusian territory. This allows for stable communication during flights. The expert emphasizes that the proximity of launch complexes to Belarus naturally increases the risk of Russian drones flying into Belarusian airspace — both due to technical malfunctions and under the influence of electronic warfare systems.
Indeed, maps from Ukrainian monitoring channels show that territories in southeastern Belarus are often used as a corridor for Russian "Shaheds" and "Gerbers" heading towards Ukraine. In other cases, drones move along the Belarusian-Ukrainian border to then change course and attack targets in Ukraine.
Map created by the Ukrainian monitoring Telegram channel @monitorwarr, showing flights of combat drones over and near Belarusian territory during a mass air attack on Ukraine on July 31, 2025
"Svaboda" has collected information about the main known Russian airfields and launch complexes for "Geraniums" and other attack drones, built near the Belarusian border after the start of the full-scale war. Analysis shows that it was during the period of this infrastructure's appearance that Russian drone incursions into Belarusian territory became massive and regular.
1. Satalava military airfield, Smolensk region
- 46 km to the border with Belarus
- 145 km to Mogilev
- Used since early 2025
- 54,33892° N, 32,47221° E
This is the closest known launch site for Russian combat drones to Belarus and NATO countries. It's 46 kilometers to the Belarusian border, which is less than the length of the Minsk Ring Road.
Construction work here started in early 2025. Almost immediately, two stationary launch installations for "Shaheds" appeared in the eastern part of the airfield. A satellite image from May 5, 2026, obtained by "Svaboda", already shows about ten installations. Construction work here does not stop. Air defense systems and a probable bunker for sheltering drones have also appeared here.
According to data from Ukrainian monitoring channels, drone launches here can sometimes occur several times a week.
A satellite image taken on March 1, 2026, shows that modern jet-powered "Geraniums" may also be launched from the airfield. The black spots on the snow are likely traces of their engines operating during takeoffs from the launch installations.
Traces from the probable launch of jet-powered "Geranium" drones from launch rails at Satalava military airfield, 45 kilometers from the Belarusian border. Image from March 1, 2026
2. "The largest drone port in the world" near Tsymbulova, Oryol region
- 200 km to the border with Belarus
- 335 km to Gomel
- Used since autumn 2024
- 53.36858° N, 35.8166° E
Near the village of Tsymbulova in the Oryol region, 200 kilometers from the borders of Belarus, Russia has built one of the largest known complexes for launching attack drones. Construction of the facility began in August 2024, and the first launches here could have occurred as early as autumn of the same year.
"Svaboda" obtained a fresh satellite image of the complex, dated June 1, 2026. It shows that the area of the military facility now measures almost 2 by 4 kilometers. It has nearly doubled in size this spring.
There are at least twelve active launch installations here, and another eight additional stationary launch positions may be under preparation. The complex features a long launch pad for drones launched from vehicle platforms and almost a hundred shelters and auxiliary structures. According to Ukrainian researchers' estimates, hundreds of attack drones can be stored here simultaneously.
"Geranium" drones in shelters at the Russian site near Tsymbulova, Oryol region
Construction of the complex near Tsymbulova continues. Particularly noticeable changes have been occurring since spring 2026. According to a study by the American publication Business Insider, elongated rail launch installations about 85 meters long have appeared on the complex's territory. Analysts link them to preparations for the launch of new jet modifications of the "Geranium" – such as the "Geranium-5". The area of the complex may almost double.
The complex near Tsymbulova was shown in a report by the Russian state TV channel "Zvezda" a year ago, even before its growth this spring. Already then, the report called it "the largest drone port in the world."
"Geranium" drones on vehicle platforms at the complex near Tsymbulova, Oryol region
3. "Shahed" launch complex near Navlya, Bryansk region
- 127 km to the border of Belarus
- 240 km to Gomel
- Used since autumn 2024
- 52.85476° N, 34.50651° E
According to the analysis of satellite images, published by Ukrainian OSINT researchers in July 2025 and later confirmed by a number of Ukrainian military publications, a complex for the preparation and launch of "Geranium"-type attack drones was created near the urban-type settlement of Navlya, Bryansk region. The complex was built from scratch.
Satellite images analyzed by "Svaboda" show that active construction on this site began in the summer of 2024. Initially, a launch road was built here, used for launching drones from vehicle platforms, as well as three large bunker-shelters covered with soil. All of this is visible in the right part of the complex in the satellite images.
In 2025, the facility began to expand. An image from June 1, 2026, obtained by "Svaboda," shows that at least 3 stationary launch positions and about 16 small protected shelters, likely for storing drones, have appeared here. Construction work on the facility continues even now.
Ukrainian military forces attacked the complex near Navlya this April, but launches of "Geranium" attack drones and "Gerber" reconnaissance drones from here continue several times a week. This is evidenced by reports in Ukrainian monitoring channels. Some of the latest launches occurred on June 1 and 3.
4. Seshcha military airfield, Bryansk region
- 45 km to the border with Belarus
- 190 km to Mogilev
- Used in 2022—2023. No fresher data
- 53.71538° N, 33.34548° E
In 2023, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat named the Seshcha military airfield in the Bryansk region as one of the main launch sites for Russian "Shahed" drones. This was also confirmed by British military intelligence, which noted that the airfield was used for launching attack drones towards Kyiv. It was also reported that it played an important role in supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The "Belarusian Hajun" monitoring group reported that in 2022-2024, Seshcha remained one of the main transit hubs for Russian aviation between Belarus and Russia. Aviation and military cargo were repeatedly transferred through the airfield.
In May 2023, the airfield was attacked by Ukrainian drones. After this, Seshcha almost ceased to be mentioned in open reports by the Ukrainian side as a launch point for "Shaheds". Nevertheless, the airfield continues to be used as an important transport hub for Russian military aviation.
Satellite images from June 4, 2026, obtained by "Svaboda," show that construction work is underway on the airfield's territory. Earthen embankments have been erected in some parts to house air defense systems. Transport aircraft are located at a significant distance from each other, some of them covered with car tires, which Russian military personnel use as additional protection against drones.
5. Drone launch complex near Osavitsa, Bryansk region
- 163 km to the border with Belarus
- 235 km to Gomel
- Used since autumn 2025
- 52.32268° N, 34.50236° E
A satellite image from Planet Labs, taken on January 11, 2026, shows at least two stationary launch installations at this location, as well as four small fortified shelters. According to estimates by researchers, the object's location approximately 35 kilometers from the Ukrainian border significantly shortens the flight time of drones to northern regions of Ukraine and expands capabilities for attacks along the Russian-Ukrainian border area.
"It's not for us to fight with Belarusians"
Most of the facilities described by "Svaboda" were built or significantly expanded starting from the summer of 2024. Some of them are still under construction. Russian drones are increasingly using routes along the Belarusian border or entering Belarusian airspace.
According to Ukrainian military expert Anatol Hrapchynski, this indicates that Russia is preparing not to reduce, but on the contrary, to expand the use of this tactic to launch a greater number of drones in the war against Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat, in a conversation with "Svaboda", stated that Ukraine is not interested in expanding the war and involving Belarus in the conflict.
"Ukrainian drones attack Russian territory. We do not make any provocations on Belarusian territory because we don't need that. It's definitely not for us to fight with Belarusians. The President of Ukraine also said this," he said.
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