President Lukashenko reports alleged shooting down of Ukrainian "fighter drones"
In Belarus, strongman Alexander Lukashenko has informed about the alleged shootdown of several Ukrainian aerial targets. Air defense has been put on high alert as approximately ten airborne objects from Ukraine entered Belarusian airspace (formerly Belarus) in the east of the country, in the Kostyukovichi region, Lukashenko said on Saturday about the incident the previous evening. "The armed forces of Ukraine have violated all behavioral rules and infringed upon the airspace of the Republic of Belarus," Lukashenko said, according to state media.
"We suspect that they were combat drones," Lukashenko said. Alongside air defense on the ground, there were also aircraft and a helicopter involved. These claims could not be independently verified.
The strongman, often referred to as Europe's last dictator, is one of the key supporters of Russia's war against Ukraine. Lukashenko also allowed Russian troops to enter northern Ukraine from southern Belarus at the start of the war, almost two and a half years ago.
The Ukrainian aerial targets, as claimed by Lukashenko, allegedly entered the restricted Belarusian airspace. Due to this violation, the Belarusian airspace is currently under strict surveillance to prevent further intrusions.
