Ukrainian drone Spectator-M1. File photoMINSK, Feb. 6President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said that the Ukrainian drone intercepted by Minsk at the end of January, which violated the state border, was reconnaissance of the area where the Belarusian and Russian military are concentrated for joint exercises. The Belarusian Foreign Ministry on Thursday protested to the Ambassador of Ukraine in the republic in connection with the launch of the drone from the Ukrainian side to Belarusian territory for reconnaissance. According to the ministry, on January 24, 2022, a Ukrainian drone illegally crossed the state border of Belarus and was forced to land by specialists of the armed forces. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an analysis of on-board equipment data showed that the drone «was launched from the territory of Ukraine in order to conduct illegal reconnaissance activities over the Brestsky military training ground.» The examination of the apparatus allowed the Belarusian side to restore its route, the starting point of which is located in Ukraine, and also to establish that the drone took more than 200 photographs of the Belarusian territory, the Brestsky military training ground in the south of the republic was especially carefully filmed. 
Lukashenka promised a tough response to Kiev's provocations «We know where he flew from, we saw his full route. This is a Ukrainian drone, it was launched into our territory in order to reconnoiter a certain territory where our and your troops are concentrated for exercises,» — Lukashenka said in an interview for the Soloviev Live YouTube channel, the footage was shown on the Rossiya 1 TV channel and on the LOOKING platform. According to him, the Belarusian border guards visually immediately discovered the device, the situation was taken under control. “I was immediately informed. I say: what kind of drone? Reconnaissance, that is, not strike,” continued the Belarusian president. He said that he instructed to observe, then with the help of special equipment to land him on Belarusian territory and not rush to make it public, because first it was necessary to figure out who launched the drone and how they would react. «And we controlled this time, and then we informed the public But some … started shouting that I was waiting for (Sergei) Shoigu to arrive (the Russian Defense Minister arrived in Belarus on February 3 — ed.) And Shoigu on the same day knew that this drone violated our territorial space, because that we have a common air defense. And, secondly, Russian troops were already concentrated there, so there (there was — ed.) a common command … for exercises. And everyone already knew everything. We did not pick up any moment (for the release of information about the Ukrainian drone — ed.),» Lukashenka said.
Lukashenko named the purpose of the exercises with RussiaHe noted that the Belarusian side responds «adequately atno, symmetrical» to this incident. «Do you want to start a war over a drone pilot?» — Lukashenka asked a rhetorical question. The forces of the Union State are being tested on the territory of Belarus. At the first stage (until February 9), groupings of troops on the territory of Belarus will be redeployed and created. At the second stage (February 10-20), the joint Belarusian-Russian exercises «Allied Resolve-2022» will be held, within the framework of which the issues of suppressing and repelling external aggression, as well as countering terrorism and protecting the interests of the Union State will be worked out.
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