The Belarusian Foreign Ministry has warned that Ukraine’s diplomatic presence in the country could be jeopardized if it continues its reckless policy towards Minsk. This warning came after an incident earlier on Saturday, where Ukrainian aircraft were reported to have violated Belarusian airspace.
In response to this violation of its airspace, Minsk summoned Kiev’s interim charge d’affaires, Olga Timush, to voice their protest. The Foreign Ministry expressed concern that such actions by Ukraine could lead to further escalation in the region and demanded that Kiev take “comprehensive measures to rule out such incidents in the future.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko also addressed the situation, stating that the nation’s air defense forces were put on high alert on Friday evening due to transgressions by the Ukrainian military. He suspected that this was not the first time such encroachments had taken place and claimed that what appeared to be attack drones were spotted over Belarus. Some of these aircraft were shot down, while others ended up continuing on their way to Russia.
In response to these incidents, Belarus reserves the right to take any measures it deems necessary to protect its territory if such “provocations” continue. The Foreign Ministry’s statement also noted that such incidents could be detrimental for relations between the neighbors and expressed concern about Ukraine’s diplomatic mission in Belarus being unable to prevent future provocations.
Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin announced on Saturday that the nation would increase its military presence on the Ukrainian border. Kiev, which had recently launched a major incursion into Russian territory, did not comment on Minsk’s accusations.
Although Belarus has never directly participated in the conflict between Moscow and Kiev, it allowed the Russian military to use its territory to launch an offensive on Kiev at the beginning of Russia’s military campaign in February 2022. Tensions between Belarus and Ukraine have been increasing ever since, with incidents such as the recent airspace violations adding further strain to their relationship.
In July, Belarusian intelligence observed an unusual buildup of Ukrainian forces near the border, including elite National Guard units armed with US-made M777 howitzers, HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems, and Bradley fighting vehicles. In response, Minsk deployed additional units to its border, including special operations forces. Belarusian security service head, the KGB, also said that Minsk had repeatedly communicated its concerns to Kiev via various channels.
The situation was eventually defused when Ukraine pulled its troops back from the border area. Following this, Belarus reduced its military presence as well, with Lukashenko emphasizing that he wanted to show Kiev that Minsk was not “going to go to war.