Belarus shoots down Russian drone, Ukraine's HUR claims

Belarus shot down a Russian strike drone in its airspace during an attack on Ukraine over the weekend, a source in Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR)  told the Kyiv Independent on July 14.

According to the source, at least three were flying over the country at the time. A Belarusian Mi-24 helicopter on an "airspace control mission" detected and destroyed one of the drones.

"It is reported that the wreckage of the downed (drone) fell in the Homel region," they added.

Russian Shahed-type drones regularly breach Belarusian airspace as they fly towards Ukrainian cities during mass attacks which have escalated significantly over recent weeks.

Belarus is one of Russia's closest allies and has allowed Moscow to use Belarusian territory for military operations against Ukraine.

Belarus’s military confirmed in September 2024 that a drone had been downed over its territory for the first time since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, and multiple incidents have been reported since.