Belarus Scrambled Aircraft Due To Russian “Banderols”

At least 12 Russian “Banderol” drones entered Belarus this morning. Radio Svaboda reported, citing Ukrainian monitoring channels. According to their information, military aircraft were scrambled from the Baranavichy airfield.

The first reports of drones moving toward Belarus appeared at 4:01 a.m. The unmanned aircraft were detected over the Homiel and Brest regions. They were moving toward Chykalavichy, Ulasy, Naroulia, Mazyr, Pietrykau, Skryhalova, Kapatskevichy, Azarychy, Yelsk and other populated areas.

At 4:45 a.m., information emerged about a “Banderol” in the area of Azarychy. According to Ukrainian monitoring data, a Su-30 fighter was scrambled there. Another military aircraft, according to “YeRadar,” took off from the Baranavichy airfield at around 4:42 a.m. There is no information yet on whether the drones were destroyed or whether their movement was disrupted by electronic warfare systems.

The “Banderol” is a hybrid of a small cruise missile and a jet-powered attack drone. It can reach speeds of up to 650 kph, have a range of up to 500 km and carry up to 50 kg of explosives. Its high speed and jet engine make it difficult for mobile air defense teams to intercept. According to Ukrainian military personnel, such drones may pose an additional challenge for air defense systems because of their high speed. More powerful anti-aircraft systems are required to intercept them.