Belarus Strengthens Air Defense Forces on Its Border with Ukraine

A military official in Belarus confirmed today, Saturday, that the country has deployed additional air defense forces on its border with Ukraine to protect "vital infrastructure" due to the increased activity of Ukrainian drones in the region. Belarus, an ally of Russia in the war against Ukraine, announced a few days ago that it shot down a quadcopter drone that had illegally crossed the border from Ukraine "to gather information about Belarus's border infrastructure." Andrei Sevrintchik, the commander of the air defense forces, noted that the situation in the airspace across the border remains tense. He added in a statement posted on the Ministry of Defense's channel on Telegram: "We are prepared to use all available forces and resources decisively to protect our territory and the people of the Republic of Belarus from potential provocations in the air." Earlier on Saturday, the Ministry of Defense stated that it had information showing that Ukraine is moving more troops, weapons, and military equipment to the northern Zhytomyr area adjacent to Belarus. No comments have been released from Ukraine so far.