Belarus has bolstered its military presence along the Ukrainian border as a response to what it claims were several Ukrainian drones violating its airspace on Friday.
According to CNN, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin disclosed this in a statement.
In the statement, Khrenin emphasized the seriousness of the incident, noting that the drones were intercepted by the country’s air defense systems.
President Alexander Lukashenko, addressing the situation in a separate briefing on Saturday, characterized the drone incursion as “a provocation,” adding, “We suspect these are attack drones.”
He underscored that the incident demonstrated Ukraine’s unwillingness to pursue peace, accusing them of “continuing to escalate this tension,” in light of recent Ukrainian actions on Russian soil.
In response to what he described as Ukrainian “provocations,” Lukashenko has directed the Belarusian general staff to reinforce military deployments in the Gomel and Mozyr regions, which are adjacent to Ukraine.
Khrenin detailed the deployment, stating, “Military units of special operations forces, ground troops, and rocket forces, including ‘Polonez’ systems and ‘Iskander’ (ballistic missile) complexes, have been tasked with marching to the designated areas. Air defense, rocket defense, and aviation forces and assets have been built-up.”
The escalation led the Belarusian Foreign Ministry to summon Ukraine’s Charge d’Affaires on Saturday, where a “strong protest” was lodged over the drone incident.
The ministry issued a stern warning to Ukraine, asserting that if such “provocations” were to recur, Belarus “reserves the right to take retaliatory steps to protect its territory.”
The ministry hinted that the continuation of Ukraine’s diplomatic presence in Minsk could be reconsidered if such incidents persist.
Belarus also condemned Ukraine for what it called “criminal actions” that dangerously escalate the regional conflict.
The ministry called on European nations to avoid further exacerbating the situation, warning, “In the event of an expansion of the conflict, the fire will spread throughout the region, including to the EU countries. There will be no winners!”
Belarusian state news agency BelTA reported that the Foreign Ministry plans to consult with allies, partners, and international organizations to discuss the ramifications of the incident.
Ukraine has yet to issue a public response to these accusations.
