MINSK, 7 February (BelTA) – In an interview with the VGTRK journalist, radio and TV host Vladimir Soloviev, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko commented on the Ukrainian drone's intrusion into the airspace of the Republic of Belarus on 24 January, BelTA has learned.
The journalist asked the head of state about Belarus' response to this incident: “You landed the Ukrainian drone flying over the Brestsky training ground, got all the information out of it, but did not act tough in response yet.”
“We are responding adequately, symmetrically. Do you want us to start a war over the drone?” Aleksandr Lukashenko asked.
“No,” replied Vladimir Soloviev.
According to the Belarusian president, as soon as the Ukrainian drone entered the territory of Belarus, the border guards immediately detected it visually and took it under control: “I was immediately informed about it. I asked: what kind of drone? A reconnaissance one. That is, not a combat drone, not a Bayraktar.
As a result, a command was given to watch and then land the drone. “We have technology. A man with a gun- an electronic gun - can force it down. We sell it worldwide. Radio-electronics specialists landed it at the right moment. We took out the inside of the drone, and I told them on 24 January: do not hurry to throw it away, you need to figure out first where from and where to it flew, while the special services were instructed to monitor how those who launched it would act. And after that we were to inform the public. And we were in control,” Aleksandr Lukashenko explained.
The president denied the allegations that Belarus was specifically waiting for the arrival of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on 3 February to publish the information about the Ukrainian drone. “Indeed, Mr Shoigu knew that the drone violated our territory on the same day it happened. Firstly, we have common air defense and, secondly, the Russian troops were already there, so there was a common command [for the Belarusian-Russian exercise Allied Resolve 2022]. Everybody knew everything, we didn't choose any specific moment.”
“We examined the inside of the drone and we now know where it flew from. We saw its entire route. You know that if you have access to the inside of a drone, you see its route and where it comes from. This is a Ukrainian drone, it was directed into our territory to survey a certain territory where Belarusian and Russian troops were concentrated for the exercise,” Aleksandr Lukashenko added.
According to the Defense Ministry, an unmanned aerial vehicle flew from Ukraine into Belarus on 24 January 2022. The drone violated the Belarusian border in air space. The fact was registered by the Belarusian border service in association with units of the Air Force and Air Defense Command of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus. Belarusian air defense units forced the drone to land. An analysis of the data the drone recorded indicates it was launched from Ukraine's territory.
It was determined that the drone was launched near the village of Pishcha, Kovel District, Volyn Oblast 1.7km away from the Belarusian border at 10:58 on 24 January. After gaining the operational altitude the drone crossed the Belarusian border near the village of Khmelishche, Malorita District. Later on it flew to the location of the Brestsky military training area in accordance with the mission task.
