Belarus boosts troops at border, summons diplomat after accusing Ukraine of airspace violation
Adds Belarus summoning Ukrainian charge d'affaires, paragraphs 2, 5-7, TV report on drone fragments found, paragraph 6, Ukrainian comment, paragraph 10
MOSCOW, Aug 10 (Reuters) -Belarus sent more troops to reinforce its border with Ukraine on Saturday, saying Ukrainian drones had violated its airspace in the course of Kyiv's military incursion into Russia's Kursk region.
Belarus' Foreign Ministry summoned Ukraine's charge d'affaires, demanded measures to ensure such incidents would not recur and suggested a repeat would prompt Belarus to consider whether Kyiv's diplomatic presence in Minsk was "appropriate".
President Alexander Lukashenko, addressing a meeting in eastern Belarus, said air defence forces on Friday destroyed several of "about a dozen" Ukrainian drones after they violated Belarusian airspace in the Mogilev region bordering Russia.
Lukashenko, one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest allies, said others were later destroyed near the Russian city of Yaroslavl.
"I don't understand why Ukraine had to do this. We have to look into it," the BelTA news agency quoted him as saying. "But we have...made ourselves clear and conveyed to them that any provocation will not go unanswered."
The state television channel Belarus1 showed footage of what it said were fragments of downed drones.
The Belarusian Foreign Ministry, in comments also appearing on BelTA, said Minsk demanded "comprehensive measures" to ensure such incidents were not repeated.
"It was pointed out...that if Ukraine's diplomatic representation in Belarus cannot have an effect on preventing such provocations, the Belarusian side will raise the issue of the appropriateness of its continued presence in Minsk."
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Centre for Countering Disinformation, a state body, wrote on Telegram that boosting arms deployments near the border was "an attempt to help Putin and divert the attention of Ukraine's command to this sector".
Earlier on Saturday, the Russian Defence Ministry said Russian forces had intercepted six drones in the Yaroslavl region.
"Considering the situation in Ukraine and in the Kursk region of Russia, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces has given orders to reinforce troops in the Gomel and Mozyr tactical areas in order to respond to such provocations," Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin said.
"Special operations forces, ground troops and rocket forces, including Polonez and Iskander systems, have been tasked with deploying to the designated areas."
He said Belarus regarded the violation of its airspace as a provocation and "was ready to respond".
Reporting by Reuters
Editing by Mark Potter, Guy Faulconbridge, Giles Elgood and Ron Popeski
Pinakabagong Balita
Disclaimer: Ang mga kabilang sa XM Group ay nagbibigay lang ng serbisyo sa pagpapatupad at pag-access sa aming Online Trading Facility, kung saan pinapahintulutan nito ang pagtingin at/o paggamit sa nilalaman na makikita sa website o sa pamamagitan nito, at walang layuning palitan o palawigin ito, at hindi din ito papalitan o papalawigin. Ang naturang pag-access at paggamit ay palaging alinsunod sa: (i) Mga Tuntunin at Kundisyon; (ii) Mga Babala sa Risk; at (iii) Kabuuang Disclaimer. Kaya naman ang naturang nilalaman ay ituturing na pangkalahatang impormasyon lamang. Mangyaring isaalang-alang na ang mga nilalaman ng aming Online Trading Facility ay hindi paglikom, o alok, para magsagawa ng anumang transaksyon sa mga pinansyal na market. Ang pag-trade sa alinmang pinansyal na market ay nagtataglay ng mataas na lebel ng risk sa iyong kapital.
Lahat ng materyales na nakalathala sa aming Online Trading Facility ay nakalaan para sa layuning edukasyonal/pang-impormasyon lamang at hindi naglalaman – at hindi dapat ituring bilang naglalaman – ng payo at rekomendasyon na pangpinansyal, tungkol sa buwis sa pag-i-invest, o pang-trade, o tala ng aming presyo sa pag-trade, o alok para sa, o paglikom ng, transaksyon sa alinmang pinansyal na instrument o hindi ginustong pinansyal na promosyon.
Sa anumang nilalaman na galing sa ikatlong partido, pati na ang mga nilalaman na inihanda ng XM, ang mga naturang opinyon, balita, pananaliksik, pag-analisa, presyo, ibang impormasyon o link sa ibang mga site na makikita sa website na ito ay ibibigay tulad ng nandoon, bilang pangkalahatang komentaryo sa market at hindi ito nagtataglay ng payo sa pag-i-invest. Kung ang alinmang nilalaman nito ay itinuring bilang pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, kailangan mong isaalang-alang at tanggapin na hindi ito inilaan at inihanda alinsunod sa mga legal na pangangailangan na idinisenyo para maisulong ang pagsasarili ng pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, at dahil dito ituturing ito na komunikasyon sa marketing sa ilalim ng mga kaugnay na batas at regulasyon. Mangyaring siguruhin na nabasa at naintindihan mo ang aming Notipikasyon sa Hindi Independyenteng Pananaliksik sa Pag-i-invest at Babala sa Risk na may kinalaman sa impormasyong nakalagay sa itaas, na maa-access dito.
