Lieutenant General Oleh Ivashchenko, head of Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence, said Russian forces are using video repeaters inside Belarus along the Ukrainian border. The military chief told British newspaper The Times that Moscow is deploying the equipment to transmit video signals because Russian occupiers lack a reliable alternative to SpaceX Starlink satellite terminals.
Ivashchenko explained that Russian units are utilizing a mesh network relying on multiple towers and transmission repeaters. Ukrainian intelligence officers have recorded six such repeaters stationed within Belarusian territory.
As a result of the renewed activity, Kyiv is again forced to consider launching military strikes against targets inside Belarus. Ivashchenko stated that Russian forces had paused the deployment of the devices for a period, but several repeaters have now resumed operation. He added that Ukrainian forces possess sufficient capabilities to address the problem.
Border situation and military activity
The Main Directorate of Intelligence, known as HUR, serves as the defense ministry agency leading Ukraine's military reconnaissance and clandestine operations. Belarus, a close ally of Russia situated directly north of Ukraine, served as a staging ground during Russia's full-scale invasion launched in February 2022.
While HUR intelligence indicates that Belarus is establishing a new airborne brigade roughly 40 kilometres from the Ukrainian frontier, Ivashchenko noted there is no immediate threat of a ground offensive in the near term.
To secure the northern frontier, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine has established a special border regime operating in a one-kilometre strip along the borders with Russia and Belarus. Within this restricted zone, free entry, residence, movement, and non-military work are strictly prohibited, reserving the land exclusively for defense and border protection duties.
Space infrastructure and Western sanctions
Beyond ground repeaters, Ukraine is acting to disrupt Russian efforts to deploy satellite constellations designed to enhance military communications and battlefield reconnaissance. Ivashchenko said his agency is already carrying out strikes against Russian space infrastructure targets, while urging Western partners to curb the supply of vital foreign technology.
According to the general, Russia continues to obtain essential electronic components from highly developed nations, including the United States, Taiwan, Japan, and several European states. Ivashchenko stated that Ukrainian intelligence is tracking these international supply chains and collaborating with allied intelligence services to dismantle them, calling for stricter sanctions on the component base underpinning Russian military hardware.
