MINSK, 24 August (BelTA) – Acting Deputy Commanding Officer of the Air Force and Air Defense Command, Colonel Oleg Orlov made a few comments in response to the attempt to violate Belarus' state border in the air space, BelTA learned from the Belarusian Defense Ministry's Telegram channel.
Oleg Orlov said: “Duty Air Force units stopped an attempt to violate the state border in Belarus' air space from the side of Lithuania near the border checkpoint Kamenny Log yesterday's evening. We view this incident as a provocation on the part of Lithuania.”
In his words, it may look like a small matter to the man in the street. “But let's consider it from other angles. First, the air border of any country is inviolable regardless of the direction of wind near the border at the moment, regardless of the desire of citizens to joke, shall we say, and release air balloons. Second, the balloons may seem harmless at first but they represent a danger for safe flights, including civilian flights. Third, nobody knows what these balloons may carry. The payload may vary and include explosives, toxic agents, and so on,” he said.
Oleg Orlov stressed: “I consider actions of our pilots as absolutely compliant with Belarusian laws and international legislation. Our pilots operated in the aerial space of our state. It was recorded by objective control equipment. The Lithuanian border was not violated. We would like to warn everyone: we do our job and will continue doing it decisively and in compliance with our legislation.”