According to Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, their ambassador to the Belarusian capital Minsk, Ihor Kyzym, was summoned by Belarus' Ministry of Foreign Affairs and handed diplomatic notes in which they accused Ukraine of “planning an attack on the territory of Belarus.”
“This information does not correspond to reality,” the Ukrainians have insisted in an official statement that was published in English.
“We categorically reject yet another insinuation of the Belarusian regime,” they said, warning the public “do not rule out that the handing over of the diplomatic note may be part of the plan of the Russian Federation to carry out a provocation to further accuse Ukraine.”
The news is coming in the wake of Anatoly Lappo, chairman of the State Border Committee of Belarus having accused Belarusian border guards and Ukrainians for having “blown up” and mined roads along their border, as well as being a nuisance to Belarusian Border Guards using live-fire.
“We are under pressure, they are aiming at our border guards, sometimes they are shooting in the air, constant aerial reconnaissance is being carried out,” Lappo claimed.
The Ukrainians are being offered assistance through Ambassador Bridget Brink of the U.S. ambassador in Kyiv (Kiev). She wrote in a tweet:
“Let's be clear about who's attacking whom,” she wrote.
“Russia violated Ukraine's sovereignty and launches strikes that kill men, women, and children while they sleep, and Belarus allows its territory to be used in support of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.”
In fact, even though Belarus is ruled by the powerful Alexander Lukashenko and has been since 1994, it hasn't officially joined in the “special military operation” against Ukraine but it was utilized as a base for Russia's unsuccessful northern offensive against Kyiv in its initial phase. It is also continuing to be a host for Russian artillery and air forces.
There are no confirmed reports yet that drones manufactured by Iran and operating from Belarus are involved in strikes Russia has carried out against targets across Ukraine and even in Kyiv itself, likely in revenge for the damage caused to the bridge that connects Crimea to mainland Russia during the weekend.
