Balloon from Belarus spotted in Ukraine, linked to Russian drone support
Andriy Demchenko, spokesperson of Ukraine's State Border Guard Service (photo: dpsu.gov.ua)
Late in the evening on May 2, a balloon entered Ukraine from Belarusian territory. It functioned as a relay device supporting Russian aerial targets, according to State Border Guard Service spokesperson Andriy Demchenko.
In this context, the spokesperson commented on what President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had earlier described as "specific activity" coming from Belarus. He said border guards are expecting provocations and attempts at destabilization, but did not provide further details.
"The threat from Belarus always exists... I cannot disclose everything at this time, but we can expect or prepare for attempts to destabilize the situation along our border. We do not rule out provocations," Demchenko said.
He also noted that while Russia was carrying out drone attacks on Ukraine that evening, social media reported a balloon entering from Belarusian territory. The spokesperson confirmed the incident and explained what the object was.
"Last night, we also observed an aerial object entering from Belarus, which was later identified as a balloon. It is essentially a relay device used to strengthen signals for Russian airborne strike systems used against Ukraine during attacks," he said.
Threat from Belarus
Earlier, on May 2, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported "specific" activity along the Ukraine-Belarus border. He said the situation was under control and that Ukraine was prepared to respond if necessary.
That same day, Center for Countering Disinformation head Andriy Kovalenko commented on the situation, suggesting that at most only minor provocations could come from Belarus.
Zelenskyy has also recently said that Russia harbors many sick, fantastical ideas and that Ukraine does not want Belarus to be drawn into them.
