While the Russia-Ukraine war continued, Belarusian activists claimed that they targeted the Russian military aircraft with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Belarusian anti-government activists claimed that they carried out a drone attack on the Russian Beriev A-50 type early warning aircraft at Machulishchy Air Base outside the capital Minsk. The attack in question has not been confirmed by either Russia or Belarus.
Aliaksandr Azarov, the leader of the anti-government organization BYPOL in Belarus, said in a statement that the attack took several months to plan and that the “partisans” will try to carry out more actions in the future. Azarov, who said, “We are working to continue our war against the Russian invaders and against the murderous regime of (President of State) Lukashenko, who illegally seized power in Belarus,” Azarov did not provide any evidence to support the attack claim.
‘I AM PROUD OF BELARUSIAN’
Franak Viacorka, an adviser to Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, also stated that two Belarusian “partisans” were involved in the attack, saying that the UAVs damaged the front and middle parts of the Beriev A-50 aircraft, including the radar antenna and avionics. Noting that the two people who carried out the attack are now safely outside of Belarus, Viacorka said, “I am proud of all Belarusians who continue to resist the Russian hybrid occupation in Belarus and fight for the freedom of Ukraine.”
In a statement made by the Belarusian human rights group Vyasna, it was stated that a woman was detained in Machulishchy, where the airbase is located, and that the reason for her detention is unknown. Belarus, an ally of Russia, has allowed Russia to use its territory to attack Ukraine, but has not been directly involved in the war so far. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, various sabotages have been carried out in Belarus and the regions of Russia bordering Ukraine, especially on railway lines.
BYPOL, which includes former law enforcement officers who support opposition politicians, is considered a terrorist organization by the Belarusian government. (UAV)