President Alexander Lukashenko said Ukraine attacked Belarus, but its air defenses foiled Kiev’s missile strike. He did not provide evidence for his assertion and indicated Belarus would not have a military response.
Speaking at an Independence Day event on Saturday, Lukashenko said, “They are provoking us. I have to tell you, three days ago, maybe a bit more, an attempt to strike military facilities on Belarusian territory was made from the territory of Ukraine.”
"But, thank God, the Pantsir anti-aircraft systems managed to intercept all the missiles that the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched," he added.
Lukashenko has not provided evidence to back his claims. He indicated Minsk hopes to avoid entering into conflict with Kiev. He noted, "We hold on, we understand that these are provocations and we keep holding on. A bad peace is better than a good war."
However, Belarus allowed its territory to be used by Russia to invade Ukraine. Throughout the war, Kiev has claimed that Moscow used Minsk’s airspace several times to carry out strikes in Ukraine. The US and its allies have sanctioned Belarus in its economic war against Russia.
Moscow also claims Kiev’s forces targeted Russian territory. On Sunday, Vyacheslav Gladkov, Regional Governor of Belgorod, announced that Ukrainian missile attacks on civilian targets killed three people. Belgorod is less than 50 miles from the Russia-Ukraine border.
The US and UK have recently transferred Ukraine rocket launchers with a range of 50 miles. Belarus or Russia did not disclose the type of Ukrainian munitions used in the alleged attacks. The White House says the transfer of long-range rockets is conditioned on Kiev agreeing not to use the rockets to attack Russia.
Kyle Anzalone is the opinion editor of Antiwar.com, news editor of the Libertarian Institute, and co-host of Conflicts of Interest.
