MINSK, March 7. /TASS/. The Ukrainian and Russian citizen detained in Belarus on suspicion of committing a sabotage attack against a Russian A-50 early warning and control aircraft at a Belarusian airfield confessed to working for Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), according to the video of his questioning released by the ONT TV Channel on Tuesday.
"Nikolay Vladimirovich Shvets, born in 1993, [citizenship of] Ukraine. I came to Russia under a Russian passport and then here from there," the detainee said.
The suspected saboteur said that he had used two drones in his attempt to carry out a subversive act against the Russian plane at the Machulishchy airfield.
"I worked with the SBU, [the city of] Kiev," he said.
It was reported at the end of February that the Machulishchy airfield had been attacked and the A-50 long-range radar surveillance and control aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces allegedly sustained significant damage. Later, Belarusian television aired footage of the A-50 aircraft in good condition while moving on the runway and while flying. It was also reported that the plane ‘escorted’ Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's airliner during his return from Beijing.
Lukashenko announced earlier on Tuesday that an agent of Ukrainian special services and over 20 of his accomplices had been detained in Belarus for their involvement in the attempted sabotage attack on the A-50 aircraft at the Machulishchy airfield near Minsk.
The Belarusian leader said that the aircraft did not sustain "any significant damage, except for what they say are scratches and one hole in the fuselage." Belarus requested Russia to take the aircraft away for maintenance and send another plane, which was done.