Zelenskyy says Belarus disabled drone control relays near Ukraine border

What happened

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on June 24 that relay stations near the Ukrainian border in Belarus, which were reportedly used for control and guidance during Russian drone strikes, stopped functioning from June 22. This information was reported by the local English-language outlet New Voice Ukraine.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. Zelenskyy's claim suggests that Belarus has taken steps to disrupt the command and control infrastructure supporting Russian drone operations targeting Ukraine. However, the report does not include confirmation from Belarusian officials or independent verification of the relay stations' shutdown.

Control relays are critical for coordinating drone strikes, meaning their loss could hamper Russia’s operational capabilities in drone attacks launched from or through Belarusian territory. Reducing the operational reach of drone strikes would have tactical implications for the front-line conflict dynamics along the border regions.

Known from the source

• President Zelenskyy said on June 24 that relay stations near the Ukraine-Belarus border used for drone strike control stopped working on June 22.
• The report comes from New Voice Ukraine, a local English-language public source.
• No confirmation from Belarusian authorities or independent sources is included in the supplied material.

What remains unclear

At this stage, the report remains a single-source claim from the Ukrainian side, without corroborating evidence from Minsk or independent intelligence. Further details on how the relay stations were disabled or the extent of the impact on drone strikes have not been publicly detailed.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Verification of relay station shutdown by Belarusian or independent sources. Evidence of the impact on Russian drone strike operations following the reported shutdown. Confirm exact location and nature of the relay stations mentioned.

Evidence note

This story contains report-led claims. The article keeps those claims attributed and treats them as unconfirmed/hearsay unless independently corroborated.

Original source: New Voice Ukraine. Open the source.