Responsibility for illegal actions involving unmanned aerial vehicles

On October 20, 2025, the Law "On Amendments to Laws on Criminal and Administrative Liability" was signed.

This legislative act aims to strengthen the protection of Belarus's airspace.

Administrative liability is established for the illegal import into Belarus, storage, circulation, operation, or manufacture of civilian unmanned aerial vehicles.

Specifically, the Code of Administrative Offenses has been supplemented with Article 18.38 "Illegal actions concerning civilian unmanned aerial vehicles and aircraft models." It establishes liability for the import into Belarus, storage, circulation, operation, or manufacture of civilian UAVs or aircraft models in the form of a fine of up to 30 basic units with confiscation of the "subject of the administrative offense." The same action, committed by legal entities and individual entrepreneurs, entails a fine: for individual entrepreneurs – from 30 to 100 basic units with or without confiscation, and for legal entities – from 50 to 200 basic units with or without confiscation.

For violating the requirements for registration or deregistration of drones, a fine of up to 40 basic units is provided, for individual entrepreneurs – from 20 to 70 basic units, and for legal entities – from 40 to 100 basic units.

For flying a drone without an assigned registration number or identification mark, as well as for operating a drone by a person who has not completed civilian UAV operator training, and for transferring control to such a person, a fine of up to 30 basic units is established, for individual entrepreneurs – from 10 to 50 basic units, and for legal entities – from 30 to 100 basic units.

The Criminal Code has been supplemented with Article 300¹ "Illegal actions concerning civilian unmanned aerial vehicles and aircraft models." It establishes liability for the import, storage, circulation, operation, or manufacture of civilian UAVs or aircraft models in violation of legislative requirements, committed within a year after the imposition of an administrative penalty for such violations. The crime is punishable by community service, or a fine, or correctional labor for up to one year, or arrest, or restriction of liberty for up to two years with or without a fine, or imprisonment for the same period with or without a fine.

 

Department of Law Enforcement and Prevention

Internal Affairs Department of Postavy District Executive Committee