Russia’s ability to control Shahed attack drones in real time has been significantly weakened after relay stations located along Ukraine’s border in Belarus were switched off, a Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson said Monday. Yurii Ihnat, head of communications for Ukraine’s Air Force, said the drones themselves had not disappeared and continued to fly, but Russia had lost an important capability that allowed operators to adjust strikes while the drones were already in the air.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “The drones haven’t disappeared, but it has become much more difficult for the enemy,” Ihnat said during a national television broadcast. According to Ihnat, the relay stations, positioned on the Belarusian side of the border, extended communication between drone operators and Shahed unmanned aerial vehicles, enabling Russian forces to receive live video feeds and modify targets during an attack. “Having a real-time video feed allows the enemy to strike even moving targets or change attack coordinates during flight,” he said. He said the loss of those relay stations has significantly limited Russia’s ability to coordinate drone operations in regions near the Belarusian border. According to Ihnat, Russian forces previously used the live video capability to direct Shahed drones against moving targets, including Ukrainian trains and mobile air defense fire groups. Belarus halts Shahed guidance systems after Zelensky’s ultimatum Zelensky cited briefings from Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky and Ukraine’s intelligence service, saying the retransmitters located on Belarusian territory stopped operating as of Monday, according to RBC-Ukraine. He noted that he does not yet know whether the equipment has been dismantled, but said “the fact is that as of today, the retransmitters are not working.”