A top security official in Belarus claimed that the country has prevented attempted drone strikes from Lithuania targeting the Belarusian capital and surrounding areas. Ivan Tertel, head of the Belarusian Committee for State Security (KGB), made the claim at a session of the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly, stating that security operations had prevented attacks by combat drones from Lithuania on objects in Minsk and its suburbs. Tertel also suggested that radicals in Lithuania and Poland were producing drones to attack Belarus, though he did not present any evidence to support these claims.
Lithuania denied the allegations, with a Lithuanian military spokesman calling the claims “nonsense” and stating that they had no basis in reality. The Lithuanian crisis management center echoed these sentiments, describing the claims as a hostile provocation and an informational attack against Lithuania. Belarus is a close ally of Russia, and President Alexander Lukashenko has repeatedly warned of potential attacks by Ukraine or NATO countries. Despite Belarus not entering the Russia-Ukraine war, it has allowed Russian forces to enter Ukraine’s north.
Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who is exiled in Lithuania, expressed skepticism about the claims of a drone attack on Minsk, suggesting that Lukashenko may be believing his own disinformation. The All-Belarusian People’s Assembly unanimously approved new national security framework and a military doctrine proposed by Lukashenko, which he claimed would allow Belarus to resist any aggressor and inflict irreparable damage on them. Political analysts believe that this rhetoric is aimed at pleasing Russia and securing additional funds to fight a perceived Western threat.
Independent Belarusian analyst Valery Karbalevich suggested that Lukashenko’s statements are a reminder to the Kremlin of Belarus hosting Russian nuclear weapons, changing its military doctrine, and expecting payment for these contributions. The increased bellicose rhetoric from Lukashenko may be a strategy to curry favor with Russia and secure financial support. It is unlikely that these statements indicate any concrete plans for Belarus to engage in military conflicts. The claims of attempted drone strikes from Lithuania continue to be a point of contention between Belarus and its Baltic neighbor, with no evidence provided to substantiate the allegations.
