MINSK, 1 July (BelTA) – Belarusian border guard personnel had to use firearms to bring down an unmanned powered paraglider near the Belarusian-Lithuanian border, representatives of the State Border Committee of Belarus told BelTA.
According to the source, a border guard patrol detected an aerial vehicle flying at an altitude of about 100 meters near the village of Subbotniki, Ivye District, Grodno Oblast on the night of 29 June. Flares were fired several times as a warning. They helped determine the vehicle had no pilot on board. To prevent the violation of Belarus' airspace the border guard personnel took measures to force the paraglider to land, including firing the issue weapons.
A preliminary examination prompted the conclusion the paraglider was homemade. It was fitted with remote controls possibly in order to smuggle goods across the border.
Steps are being taken to find the people involved in violating Belarus' air space. The State Border Committee of Belarus warned that flying vehicles are forbidden near the border and the border guard personnel can use weapons to prevent trespassing.
