Belarus accuses Kiev of firing the missiles

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Saturday that his military had shot down missiles fired from Ukraine in Belarus.

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“We are motivated. I must tell you that about three days ago, there was an attempt from Ukraine to attack military targets in Belarus. Thank God, our Pantsir anti-aircraft systems intercepted all the missiles fired by Ukrainian forces,” he said, as quoted by state news agency Belda.

“I repeat to you, as I said a year ago, we do not want to fight in Ukraine,” he assured.

After the February 24 attack on the Kremlin against Ukraine, Russia’s ally Belarus served as a base for Russian forces.

Russian troops significantly moved out of Belarus and attempted to capture the capital, Kyiv, before retreating in late March in the face of Ukrainian resistance.

Mr. Lukashenko’s regime is heavily dependent on Russia, both militarily and economically, under heavy Western sanctions.

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow would deliver nuclear-capable Iskander-M missiles to Belarus “in the coming months.”