MINSK, January 2. /TASS/. Belarus’ Air Force and its air defenses are ready for any developments and have been taking appropriate measures to ensure the country’s security, the Air Force and Air Defense deputy commander for ideological work, Colonel Anatoly Bulavko, said on Monday.

Referring to a Ukrainian missile downed above Belarus in late December, he told STV television channel, "So far, looking at least a year forward, the Armed Forces, the Air Force and the Air Defense are ready for any scenario."

According to the senior military official, the republic currently has every capacity to ensure its security. "This is why we have a sober view of the situation and have been taking appropriate measures. And our population, our people can sleep peacefully and everyone can do their job," Bulavko stressed.

The deputy commander pointed to the continued tensions near the Belarusian borders, including the one with Ukraine. "I will say this, (2022 - TASS) did not give us any reason for complacency. <...> And the current developments near the southern border, let’s face it, are an additional irritant, I mean the air defenses on duty. <...> Obviously, the missile incident (an S-300 projectile downed by Belarusian air defenses - TASS) was an extreme one. As a joke, they [may] send a drone to our territory," Bulavko said.

A projectile launched from the S-300 air defense system from Ukrainian territory was downed by Belarusian air defenses as it breached the republic’s airspace on Thursday morning. Its fragments landed near the village of Gorbakha in the Ivanovo District of the Brest Region. Minsk demanded that Kiev conduct a thorough investigation into the incident, prosecute those responsible for it and take exhaustive measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future.