On Thursday, Belarus claimed it had intercepted attempted drone strikes by Lithuania on its territory. Vilnius dismissed the claim as fiction, and a Lithuanian military spokesperson vehemently criticized Minsk's assertion of the attempted aerial strike as “nonsense.”
Ivan Tertel, head of the Belarusian Committee for State Security (KGB), stated: “the KGB, in cooperation with colleagues from other structures, has recently carried out a number of acute security measures, which made it possible to prevent attacks by combat drones from the territory of Lithuania on objects in Minsk and its suburbs.”
He did not provide evidence for the claim or elaborate, alleging that “radicals” in Lithuania and Poland are manufacturing drones to attack Belarus.
Tertel made the assertion to the All-Belarusian People's Assembly, which comprises officials, members of local councils, unions, and pro-government activists, operating parallel to the parliament.
“This is nonsense; I can't find another word,” remarked Lithuanian military spokesperson Gintautas Ciunis on Thursday.
The Lithuanian crisis management center issued a statement, stating, “Such statements by the Belarusian KGB can be regarded as a continuous hostile provocation and an informational attack against Lithuania, which has nothing to do with reality. It can be considered that they are also intended for the domestic audience of the country.”
Belarus, a close ally of Russia, has deployed tactical nuclear weapons, missiles, and troops with Russian support.
Authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko has repeatedly claimed that Belarus would repel any attempt by Ukraine or NATO countries to attack it.
While Belarusian forces have not directly engaged in the Russia-Ukraine war, the country served as a launching point for Russian forces that entered Ukraine's north.
He did not provide evidence for the claim or elaborate, alleging that “radicals” in Lithuania and Poland are manufacturing drones to attack Belarus.
Tertel made the assertion to the All-Belarusian People's Assembly, which comprises officials, members of local councils, unions, and pro-government activists, operating parallel to the parliament.
“This is nonsense; I can't find another word,” remarked Lithuanian military spokesperson Gintautas Ciunis on Thursday.
The Lithuanian crisis management center issued a statement, stating, “Such statements by the Belarusian KGB can be regarded as a continuous hostile provocation and an informational attack against Lithuania, which has nothing to do with reality. It can be considered that they are also intended for the domestic audience of the country.”
Belarus, a close ally of Russia, has deployed tactical nuclear weapons, missiles, and troops with Russian support.
Authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko has repeatedly claimed that Belarus would repel any attempt by Ukraine or NATO countries to attack it.
While Belarusian forces have not directly engaged in the Russia-Ukraine war, the country served as a launching point for Russian forces that entered Ukraine's north.
Source: Euronews
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