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Belarus Reactivates Relays Helping Russian Drones Strike Deeper Into Ukraine, Kyiv Says
Developing
In Short: Belarus has reactivated signal relays that assist Russian attack drones in penetrating deeper into Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials.
Belarus has reactivated signal relays that help Russian attack drones penetrate deeper into Ukraine, including the western regions bordering Poland, Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service said. This move is seen as a significant escalation in Russia's ability to conduct strikes on Ukrainian territory.
Russian attacks almost collapsed the Ukrainian energy grid last winter, and Ukraine is now expecting another tough winter. Despite recent claims by US President Donald Trump that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to stop hitting each other's energy targets, both sides continue to target each other's infrastructure.
Ukraine reported that Russian missile and drone strikes injured at least 19 people, including two children, in Kyiv and surrounding areas. The strikes targeted 36 locations, with debris from intercepted targets falling at five sites.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported 20 people injured, including at least two children, in the Darnytskyi, Dniprovskyi, and Solomianskyi districts. Ukraine’s Air Force destroyed or suppressed 131 Russian aerial targets during the overnight attacks, but none of the ballistic weapons were among those intercepted.
What's still developing
- In Kyiv’s Dniprovsky district, a warehouse, office building, residential buildings and cars were damaged, according to local authorities.
- In the Kyiv region, civilian areas and infrastructure were targeted in the Obukhiv, Brovary, Fastiv and Bucha districts, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv Regional Administration.
- Zelenskyy also reported damage to Russian warplanes and helicopters in a strike on a military base in the southern city of Rostov.
- The equipment amplifies signals for Russian Shahed and Gerbera drones, allowing them to fly farther into Ukrainian territory after entering from Russia, according to Border Guard spokesperson Andriy Demchenko.
- “Belarus is actively assisting Russia” with attacks on Ukraine, Demchenko told Ukrinform on Sept. 16.
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Sources
- Kyiv Postlink