MINSK, 7 February (BelTA) – Belarus is prepared to respond more harshly to the provocations on its border, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said in an interview with the VGTRK journalist, radio and TV host Vladimir Soloviev, BelTA has learned.
The head of state recalled that in December 2021, a Ukrainian military aircraft crossed the Belarusian border. "We could have shot down that helicopter. Should I have done that? I don't think so. Now it was a drone. We had to land it. If they go any further with their provocations, we will act tougher," Aleksandr Lukashenko warned.
As BelTA has reported, on 24 January 2022, a Ukrainian drone illegally crossed the state border of Belarus, was detected and subsequently forced to land by the Armed Forces of Belarus.
After analyzing onboard equipment data, it was established that the drone was launched from the territory of Ukraine in order to carry out illegal reconnaissance activities over the Brestsky military training ground.
The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Belarus Igor Kizim on 3 February to voice a strong protest against the purposeful launch of an unmanned aerial vehicle from Ukraine to the territory of Belarus. The Ukrainian side was told that by these unfriendly moves it is deliberately provoking an escalation of tension in the region, which is not conducive to a civilized bilateral dialogue. The Belarusian side demanded that such destructive actions do not happen in the future,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
