Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced Tuesday the arrest of those allegedly responsible for an attempt to sabotage a Russian military aircraft and identified the main suspect as a Ukrainian national with ties to Ukrainian intelligence services.
The attack took place at an air base located in the small village of Machulishchi, in the Minsk region. According to Lukashenko, a drone was used for the action and the incident left damages on the aircraft, a Beriev A-50, although they were not »significant», reports the official news agency BelTA.
The Belarusian president, who has also confirmed the arrest of more than 20 alleged »accomplices» so far, has stated that the operation started more than half a year ago, when the Ukrainian SBU and the American CIA allegedly trained a »terrorist» with the aim of perpetrating some kind of operation in Belarus.
The recruited man, whose identity has not been disclosed, would also have Russian nationality and lived in Crimea. »He was recruited by the Ukrainian intelligence services probably in 2014,» said Lukashenko, alluding to the year in which precisely Russia took control of the Crimean peninsula and the separatist conflict broke out in eastern Ukraine.
Belarus collaborates with Russia in the military offensive launched on Ukraine more than a year ago, ceding its territory for logistical matters and strengthening political ties. Lukashenko has always defended that his country is not directly involved, although he usually warns that he will do so if he perceives that there is some kind of threat to his national security.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
