MINSK, March 26. /TASS/. Any attempts to stage provocations at the Belarusian border must be thwarted with the use of force, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said.

"I’ll say it publicly: any provocation must be stopped militarily. Nobody should hesitate to shoot to kill any trespasser [who violates] the state border," the Belarusian leader's press pool quoted him as saying, on its Pul Pervogo Telegram channel, during a working visit to the Ashmyany District near Grodno as he inspected the combat readiness of the Belarusian army. Trespassers "can only understand the language of force," Lukashenko explained.

Measures to strengthen border control, patrol adjacent areas and conduct aerial reconnaissance using drones are currently being taken by Minsk’s armed forces as part of Lukashenko’s inspection tour.