MINSK, August 10. /TASS/. Belarus may question the need in keeping the Ukrainian diplomatic mission in Minsk should it fail to prevent provocations, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry told Ukrainian charge d’affaires Olga Timush who had been summoned over yesterday’s Ukrainian drone incident.
The Belarusian ministry "emphasized that should the Ukrainian diplomatic mission in Belarus fail to thwart such provocations, the Belarusian side will question the need in keeping it in Minsk," according to its statement.
Advisor and Envoy of the Belarusian Embassy in Russia Alexander Shpakovsky noted that Belarus has not had any diplomatic representation in Ukraine for more than two years now after the Ukrainian side "refused to comply with generally accepted international norms in ensuring the safety of diplomats and their families."
Earlier on Saturday, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that Belarusian air defenses had shot down some drones flying from Ukraine over the republic on August 9. The Belarusian leader issued instructions to deploy more troops to the Gomel and Mozyr areas on the border with Ukraine.
Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin explained that the decision to reinforce border troops had been made amid the developments in Ukraine and Russia’s Kursk Region.