Belarus bans civilians from storing drones

Alexander Lukashenko signed a decree that significantly restricts the use of drones in Belarus. The document prohibits individuals from importing into Belarus, storing, selling, operating, and manufacturing civilian UAVs. The order also provides for the creation of an automated information system for state registration of civilian UAVs owned by legal entities and/or individual entrepreneurs.

It also states that only organizations and individual entrepreneurs will now have the right to own drones "for the purpose of their business and professional activities. In addition, to import drones into Belarus, these categories of persons will need to obtain a permit from the Aviation Department of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, which will set up the registration of drones in the country. "As for the UAV import, operation, and manufacture by individuals, the order comes into force after its official publication, and as for storage and sale, it comes into force six months later," Lukashenko said.

It is stated that the owners of drones in Belarus will be able to sell their aircraft to organizations or individual entrepreneurs within the allotted period of six months, or transfer them for storage to an "authorized organization designated by the government". This law is presumably related to attacks by unidentified drones on the Russian military stationed in Belarus. In March of this year, unknown resistance used a drone to damage a Russian A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft.

A Russian A-50 aircraft in the camera of a drone. February 2023, Belarus. Frame from a video on social media

At the time, Lukashenko claimed that an unknown saboteur and his accomplices were allegedly involved in bombing the A-50.

He stated that the "spy" was allegedly recruited by the Security Service of Ukraine in 2014 and is knowledgeable in IT technologies.

In June, it was reported that the Belarusian military would be armed with additional Russian Supercam drones.