Belarus handed Ukraine a note of protest after attack on truck in Russia
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus on October 9 summoned Ukraine's Charge d'Affaires Ivan Novitsky and handed him a note of protest in connection with the alleged attack by a Ukrainian drone on a cargo vehicle in the Bryansk region of Russia. Minsk considers the strike intentional and warned Kyiv of the possibility of retaliatory measures.
This was reported by the press secretary of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry Ruslan Varankov, BelTA reports.
According to the Belarusian side, the incident occurred on October 8. A drone attacked a cargo vehicle with Belarusian registration plates, in which a female citizen of Belarus was located. The woman received severe injuries and was hospitalized.
The Belarusian Foreign Ministry stated that the ownership of the vehicle was obvious, therefore Minsk has grounds to consider the strike deliberate. At the same time, the agency did not present public evidence that the drone belonged to Ukraine or that the Belarusian vehicle was specifically chosen as the target of the attack.
During the meeting with the Ukrainian diplomat, the Belarusian side expressed protest and reminded that it had previously warned Kyiv about the inadmissibility of such actions.
Minsk also stated that it holds the Ukrainian authorities responsible for the possible consequences of such incidents. The Belarusian Foreign Ministry demanded to stop actions that it considers provocations contributing to further escalation.
“Belarus reserves the right to adequate response measures,” — emphasized Varankov.
At the same time, the representative of the foreign policy department did not specify what measures are being considered and under what circumstances Minsk may apply them.
What is known about the condition of the victim
The first official report about the incident was distributed by the Belarusian Foreign Ministry on October 8. Then Varankov reported that the female citizen of Belarus received such severe injuries that she required surgical intervention, including amputation of limbs.
As of October 8, the woman was in intensive care in an extremely serious but stabilized condition. She was connected to a ventilator. Doctors provided her with necessary medical care.
Diplomats of the Belarusian Embassy in Russia and its branch in Smolensk maintain contact with Russian authorities and the medical facility where the victim is located. The Belarusian foreign policy department stated that it provides her with necessary assistance.
Minsk also reminded that it had previously recommended its citizens to refrain from traveling to Russian regions located near the combat zone. After the incident on October 8, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry again drew attention to the heightened danger of such trips.
Minsk stated attempts at escalation
In the initial statement of October 8, the Belarusian foreign policy department characterized the incident as an inhumane act. Minsk also suggested that such incidents may be part of coordinated actions aimed at involving Belarus in the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Reports of drone attacks on Belarusian transport in the border regions of Russia have appeared before. According to information from the Belarusian service of Radio Svaboda, on September 25 and 26 drones attacked Belarusian cargo vehicles near the Russian border checkpoint “Krasny Kamen”.
In August, this checkpoint temporarily suspended operations after a drone strike. In July, an incident with a passenger bus on Russian territory was also reported. These incidents increased concerns about the safety of road communication in border areas.
At the same time, the circumstances of the attack on October 8, the ownership of the drone, and the alleged deliberate nature of the strike are not independently confirmed. Verified reports primarily contain statements from the Belarusian foreign policy department. The official reaction of the Ukrainian side to the current accusations has not been established at the time of preparing this material.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, BelTA, Reform.news, Radio Svaboda.
