MINSK, February 22. /TASS/. Belarus' air defense forces will shoot down any foreign aircraft that may violate the country’s airspace, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said, commenting on the increased number of NATO military aircraft flying close to the country's borders.

"If they take the brakes off, we will, of course, shoot [them] down; we will not hesitate," he said in an interview with Rossiya-24 television.

Khrenin recounted that there have been six violations of the country's airspace since August 2023 alone.

"We respond to all violations. When necessary, our combat aviation is raised, and anti-aircraft missile forces are brought to the appropriate level of readiness," the minister emphasized.