Belarusian Su-30 fighters fail to down Russian Banderol missile-drone
Belarusian Su-30 fighters scrambled but failed to shoot down a Russian Banderol missile-drone that flew about 120 kilometers inside the country, monitoring channels reported. The weapon traveled 306 kilometers in total.
Belarusian Su-30 fighters were dispatched but were unable to intercept a Russian Banderol missile-drone that entered the nation from approximately 120 kilometers away, according to monitoring channels. The missile covered a distance of 306 kilometers before its fuel ran out and it crashed in a field near Kopatkevichi, in Gomel Oblast's Petrikov district.
At least 12 Russian Banderol missiles breached Belarus on the morning of August 22, likely crossing the border from Ukraine. Monitoring channels first noted their approach around 4 a.m. The weapons were observed headed towards several settlements in Gomel and Brest oblasts, including Narovlya, Mozyr, Petrikov, Skrygalov, and Kopatkevichi.
A military aircraft also departed from Baranavichy airfield. It remains uncertain whether Belarus neutralized the remaining missiles through destruction or electronic countermeasures. Russia is believed to have started employing Banderol missiles against Ukraine in spring 2025. In late April 2025, Serhii Beskrestnov, an electronic warfare and communications expert popularly known as Flash and now a presidential adviser, disclosed that Russian forces had been striking Odesa Oblast with these loitering munitions for several consecutive weeks.
Written by urgent.news from New Voice of Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
