The French newspaper Le Monde, citing its own sources, reports that the Ukrainian authorities have requested a digital map of Belarus from Paris, but France has refused to do so.
Source: BBC
Digital maps, or DTED – digital terrain elevation data – detail the terrain and also list obstacles such as high voltage lines or wind turbines, as well as military equipment that could pose a danger to the pilot, the newspaper writes.
All this information allows combat aircraft or drones to perform tasks at low altitudes.
According to an expert interviewed by Le Monde, these maps, which are created using satellites and are constantly updated, can help Ukrainians set up drones to strike a target in Belarus, as they have done several times in Russia, in particular in the Belgorod region.
Paris justified its refusal by saying that France will support Ukraine as long as it is about protecting Ukrainian territory, but participation in operations on the territory of other states is out of the question.
Background. As a reminder, the EU is unable to fulfill its promise to supply Ukraine with shells due to controversy, as France lobbies for the interests of local arms companies.