Russian military aircraft blown up near Minsk: Belarusian partisans
- Belarusian partisans claim to have destroyed Russian Beriev A-50 surveillance aircraft with drones
- Adviser to exiled Belarusian opposition leader said it was a ‘successful special operation’
Belarusian anti-government activists have claimed responsibility for what they said was a drone attack on a Russian A-50 surveillance aircraft at an airfield near the Belarus capital of Minsk on Sunday.
“Those were drones. The participants of the operation are Belarusian,” Aliaksandr Azarov, leader of Belarusian anti-government organisation BYPOL, was quoted as saying on the organisation’s Telegram messaging app and on the Poland-based Belsat news channel.
“They are now safe, outside the country.”
Reuters was not able to independently verify the report of the attack. There was no official confirmation from Russia or Belarus and there was no immediate response from their defence ministries to requests for comment.
Belsat is a Polish broadcaster focused on Belarusian news that Minsk has branded extremist. BYPOL, which includes former law enforcement officers who support opposition politicians, has been branded a terrorist organisation.
Franak Viacorka, an adviser to Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said in a post on Twitter it was the most successful act of sabotage since the beginning of 2022.