The Belarusian Defense Ministry has published footage of the wreckage of the Ukrainian drones that were shot down in its airspace earlier this week.
The video, which was posted to Telegram, demonstrated the charred metallic fragments of what appear to be a wing and parts of the hull of a drone scattered around a wooded area. The Belarusian military did not elaborate on what types of UAVs were intercepted. Some of the drones ended up making it through to Russia, where they were later shot down near the city of Yaroslavl.
According to the Belarusian media, the UAVs were filled with various NATO electronics and equipment, including a US-made active antenna and a Belgian navigation system. “The downed drones appear to have been assembled [by Ukraine] together with NATO engineers,” the Belarusian Belta news agency reported.
Neither Kiev nor its Western backers have commented on the incident so far. Minsk summoned Kiev’s interim charge d’affaires, Olga Timush, over the issue to express its protest. The Foreign Ministry warned that such actions by Ukraine could lead to further escalation and demanded Kiev prevent such incidents in the future.
The ministry also stated that the continued presence of Ukrainian diplomats in Belarus could be jeopardized if they are unable to influence Kiev’s policies when it comes to such “provocations.”
On Sunday, the Belarusian Defense Ministry also announced that it was deploying tank units to the Ukrainian border in light of the drone incident. Lukashenko also ordered the military presence on the Ukrainian border to be strengthened. Kiev has suggested the buildup was aimed at diverting Ukraine’s attention from its incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region.
Belarus has never directly taken part in the conflict between Moscow and Kiev. However, at the start of Russia’s military campaign in February 2022, it allowed the Russian military to use its territory to launch an offensive on Kiev. Relations between the two neighbors have been strained ever since.