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Belarusian anti-government activists claim to blow up Russian A-50 spy plane. Photo/National Interest
MINSK – Anti-government activist Belarus claimed to have blown up a military reconnaissance plane Russia advanced drone strike on an airfield near the Belarusian capital, Minsk. This claim has not been confirmed by Russia or Belarus.
The Beriev A-50 aircraft, known by NATO as the Mainstay, is an early warning aircraft with command and control capabilities and the ability to track up to 60 targets at once.
Belarus, a staunch ally of Russia, has allowed Moscow to use its territory to launch an attack on Ukraine, although it has so far refrained from getting directly involved in the war.
“It was the drone (which carried out the attack). The participants in the operation were Belarusians,” Aliaksandr Azarov, the leader of the Belarusian anti-government organization BYPOL, said on the organization’s Telegram messaging app reported by the Belsat news agency as quoted by Reuters, Tuesday (28/28/2018) 2/2023).
But Azarov did not provide direct evidence to support his statement.
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BYPOL, whose members are former law enforcement officers who support opposition politicians, has been branded a terrorist organization by Minsk. Belsat is a Poland-based broadcaster that regularly criticizes Belarus, which Minsk also labels as extremist.
Reached by phone on Monday, Azarov told Reuters the operation had been planned for several months and that the “partisans” would try to carry out more in the future.
“We are working, continuing our battle against the Russian occupiers on the territory of Belarus and with the criminal regime (President Alexander) Lukashenko who has illegally seized power,” he said.
The Kremlin declined to comment on Azarov’s claims, saying that the alleged incident took place on the territory of Belarus which it says has refuted the claims. There was no immediate response to requests for comment from the Belarusian or Russian defense ministries.
