In Belarus, President Alexander Lukashenko has now admitted an act of sabotage against a Russian reconnaissance aircraft at an airport near the capital Minsk. The mastermind and more than 20 helpers have been arrested, Lukashenko said on Tuesday. At the end of February, Belarusian anti-war activists themselves reported an attack on the plane.
The activists claimed that they dropped explosives on the machine from two drones. The leadership in Minsk initially described this as disinformation. Lukashenko has now confirmed that the Beriev A-50 aircraft at Makhulishchi airbase has been slightly damaged by a small Chinese drone sold in ordinary stores. The aircraft is still functional.
‘Russians have to send another plane’
“Nevertheless, we have asked the Russians to take this plane back for a technical check and send us another one,” Lukashenko said. In early March, photos of the plane that allegedly flew to Russia appeared on social networks.
In addition to the more than 20 people arrested, there are other participants who are hiding abroad, Lukashenko said without providing any evidence. Among the suspects in custody is a man with IT skills and Russian and Ukrainian passports. He is said to have lived on the Crimean peninsula on the Black Sea annexed by Russia in 2014 and was recruited by the secret service in Kiev for acts of sabotage.
Ukraine sees neighboring countries as warring factions
Lukashenko accused Ukraine of planning the attack for a long time. Ukraine sees Belarus as a war party because Lukashenko allows Russian forces to take over military bases for attacks on the neighboring country. The Belarusian ruler had refused direct participation of his country’s troops in the war. However, there have been fears for some time that Lukashenko, who is dependent on Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, could be pressured to directly participate in the invasion.
Source: Krone
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