Belarus accuses Ukraine of daily drone attacks - Kyiv reacts
Photo: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (Getty Images)
Belarus has claimed that "Ukrainian combat drones" are regularly crossing the border. Kyiv called the accusations a provocation and an attempt to play along with Russia, according to the Belarusian state news agency Belta and the Center for Countering Disinformation.
Belarusian Security Council State Secretary Alexander Volfovich claimed that attempts by Ukrainian drones to cross into Belarus are being recorded "almost daily."
According to him, Belarus registered 116 such incidents in the past week alone, while air defense forces used response measures 59 times.
Minsk also claimed that some of the drones allegedly tried to attack the Belarusian border infrastructure.
"In some cases, these are not accidental attacks, but attempts to strike elements of border infrastructure while disguising them as accidental incursions," he said.
Reaction from Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation
Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, said Belarus is "lying about Ukrainian drones" and trying to stage provocations in Russia’s interests.
"This is exactly what Russia demands from Belarus. It is worth reminding that Belarus provided its territory for the Russian invasion in 2022," Kovalenko stressed.
He also warned Minsk against acting in the Kremlin’s interests and said Alexander Lukashenko’s leadership should understand the possible consequences.
"I am sure Lukashenko fully understands the consequences of actions taken in Russia’s interests in 2026. It could already be a completely different story," Kovalenko concluded.
Comment from Ukraine’s Border Guard Service
Andriy Demchenko, spokesperson for Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service, called the Belarusian statements "another attempt to accuse Ukraine of something and shift responsibility onto us."
At the same time, he noted that Lukashenko’s regime is "once again claiming there are no threats to Ukraine from Belarus."
"We have heard this many times before. We have been through this and remember it well," Demchenko said.
Commenting on Minsk’s claims about "116 Ukrainian drones," he sarcastically remarked that Belarusian air defenses only see Ukrainian drones, while "for some reason they fail to notice what flies into Ukraine from Belarus."
"My question is: how hard did they have to restrain themselves to stay silent for so long about these supposed Ukrainian provocations?" he added.
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is closely monitoring the situation on the Belarusian border and strengthening defensive measures in the northern direction.
According to the President, due to security risks and appeals from border communities, the authorities, together with the Defense Ministry and the government, are considering additional measures to strengthen air defense systems in the Chernihiv-Kyiv direction.
Zelenskyy also stressed that Belarusian authorities must understand the consequences of any aggressive actions against Ukraine.
