The president of Belarus affirmed that his Army intercepted missiles launched from Ukraine, in full swing of versions about the growing involvement of his country, an ally of Russia, in the war in Ukraine.
The President of Belarus, Alexandr Lukashenko, accused Ukraine this Saturday (07.02.2022) of having fired missiles at his country a few days ago and of having tried to attack military installations.
“We are being provoked. I must inform you: three days ago, maybe a little more, from the territory of Ukraine they tried to attack military installations on the territory of Belarus,” the president said in a speech on the eve of the country’s Independence Day. according to the official agency BELTA.
“But, thank God, Pantsir’s air defense systems managed to intercept all the missiles that were launched by the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” he said. “What is this? I swear to you that not a single Belarusian soldier is fighting on the territory of Ukraine,” he stressed.
Rear base to Russian forces
Since the start of the offensive against Ukraine on February 24, Belarus has served as a rear base for Russian forces.
In the first days, the Russian columns that tried to advance towards Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, started from Belarus but met with unexpected resistance that forced them to withdraw.
Lukashenko’s government faces harsh international sanctions and is highly dependent on Russia militarily and economically.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that his country will deliver to Belarus “in the coming months” Iskander-M missiles, capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
“Not a single step without Lukashenko’s consent”
The Belarusian president also assured that it is not the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, who makes the decisions in Minsk.
“If someone thinks that Belarus is ‘occupied’, Lukashenko ‘does not decide anything, there are no authorities in Belarus anymore, Putin walks around Belarus and decides everything, I want to tell him not a single step is taken, especially today, without the consent of President Lukashenko,” he said.
The Belarusian president also assured that Minsk does not want to be dragged into the armed conflict in Ukraine, but that the country will fight if there is an “invasion” of Belarus.
“I want to say to those who are worried whether Lukashenko will fight there or not: listen, we will fight, I repeat it once more, only in case our land is invaded,” he said.
According to Lukashenko, the West would seek to involve Minsk in the Russian military campaign to “end Russia and Belarus in one fell swoop.”
Western “hawks”
During his speech, the Belarusian president warned the Western “hawks” that he had given the order a little over a month ago to the units of the Armed Forces of his country to keep an eye on “the decision centers of their capitals”
“If you dare to attack in Gomel, in the south, in the Mozyr oil refinery, in the airport, the airfield in Luninets or Brest, the response will be instantaneous. Simply instantaneous, in a second!” he stressed.
