---
title: "«Shahed» in Zhytomyr Oblast: Expert Suggests Covert Use of Belarusian Territory for Drone Control"
description: "A «Shahed» drone attacked a gas station in Malyn, Zhytomyr Oblast. Expert Serhiy Besskrystnov suggested the drone was controlled via repeaters on Belarusian territory, which may have been installed without Lukashenko's knowledge. Previously, Zelenskyy gave the Belarusian leader one week to remove such systems."
date: 2026-07-15T12:16:16.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/shahed-in-zhytomyr-oblast-theory-of-repeaters-in-belarus
tags: [sergey-beskretnov, vladimir-zevensky, alexander-lukashenko, zhytomyr-region, shahed-drone]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# «Shahed» in Zhytomyr Oblast: Expert Suggests Covert Use of Belarusian Territory for Drone Control

![Firefighters extinguish the aftermath of a Shahed drone strike in Zhytomyr region, where experts suspect covert use of Belarusian territory for drone control](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/15/shahed-v-zhitomirskoy-oblasti-versiya-o-retiranslyatorah-v-belarusi/shahed-v-zhitomirskoy-oblasti-versiya-o-retiranslyatorah-v-belarusi-1.webp)

A new attack by a «Shahed» kamikaze drone has been recorded in the Zhytomyr Oblast. According to Ukrainian specialists, the drone's flight trajectory and control characteristics suggest the possible use of repeaters on the territory of neighboring Belarus. Experts do not rule out that such systems could be installed and operated without the official knowledge of the republic's authorities.

### Attack on Malyn: UAV Route and Behavior

On the morning of June 19, at 7:11, a controlled jet drone attacked a gas station in the city of Malyn. According to Serhiy Besskrystnov (callsign «Flash»), an advisor to the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Ukrainian radar stations tracked the entire path of the attacking apparatus.

The «Shahed» flew along the border with Belarus, reaching Korosten directly over the highway. After this, the drone turned and headed towards Malyn, flying directly over the railway tracks, where it struck the gas station.

The expert notes that such behavior is characteristic of manual drone control via a video signal from a camera. However, the distance from the point of attack to the Russian border is about 260 kilometers, which makes the use of a direct radio channel impossible. At the same time, no other drones that could act as repeaters were detected in the air at the time of the attack.

### The Theory of Hidden Repeaters

In order to attack western regions of Ukraine with drones under online control, the adversary needs repeaters. Without them, control at such distances is impossible. Serhiy Besskrystnov put forward the theory that Russia could be using Belarusian territory to place such systems, and this could happen without the knowledge of Alexander Lukashenko.

«I don't know if Lukashenko will be able to withstand „persistent requests“ for repeaters. I also do not rule out that repeaters could be installed without the knowledge of the Belarusian authorities. This is done quickly and easily. Therefore, they should pay closer attention to what is happening in their country», — emphasized the Ukrainian expert.

Final conclusions regarding the causes of the attack and the drone control methods will be made by the relevant services after a detailed study of the situation.

### Kyiv's Reaction and Previous Warnings

The issue of using Belarusian territory to control Russian drones has been raised at the highest level previously. On June 19, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Alexander Lukashenko that he had one week to remove Russian repeaters from his territory. The discussion concerned systems located in two regions of Belarus bordering Ukraine.

Subsequently, Zelenskyy stated that as of June 22, repeaters on the territory of Belarus had ceased operation. The President explained that at that time he did not know whether the systems had been physically dismantled, but their operation had been stopped.