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Belarus arrests individuals over 'attempted sabotage' at air base

Tuesday, 07 March 2023 6:19 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 07 March 2023 6:19 PM ]

A file image shows the Machulischy airfield in Belarus.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says Belarus has detained a number of people over attempted sabotage at an airfield last month.

"The Security Service of Ukraine, the leadership of the CIA, behind closed doors, are carrying out an operation against the Republic of Belarus. A terrorist was trained," Lukashenko was quoted as saying by state news agency Belta on Tuesday.

The Belarusian president identified the presumed main culprit as a "terrorist" and a dual national of Ukraine and Russia. "He was recruited by the Ukrainian special services in 2014, apparently. He is an IT specialist or somebody well versed in IT," Lukashenko said.

He added that "more than 20 accomplices who are in Belarus have been detained. The rest are hiding."

In late February, Belarusian anti-government activists claimed that they had blown up a Russian military surveillance aircraft in an airfield near Minsk in a drone attack. Belarus and Russia disputed that claim. In his Tuesday remarks, Lukashenko confirmed that an A-50 plane had been targeted but he said it "did not suffer any significant damage."

The Belarusian president said he had ordered a nationwide "sweep" to round up other saboteurs involved in attacks inside the country.

Belarus and Russia's air forces earlier this year held joint drills to prepare for possible combat missions, around two weeks after a Ukrainian missile entered the Belarusian airspace in what Minks denounced as a "provocation."

Belarus has dismissed Kiev's claims that Russian forces could launch attacks from Belarusian territory. Lukashenko has previously said Belarus would only join the war directly if its territory came under attack from Ukraine.

Russia launched what it calls "a special military operation" in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, over the perceived threat of the ex-Soviet republic joining NATO. Since then, the United States and Ukraine's other allies have sent Kiev tens of billions of dollars' worth of weapons, including rocket systems, drones, armored vehicles, tanks, and communication systems. Western countries have also imposed a slew of economic sanctions on Moscow.

The Kremlin has said the sanctions and the Western military assistance will only prolong the war.

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