MINSK: Belarus has shared with Poland air situation data refuting accusations of violating Poland’s border by Belarusian helicopters, the...
MINSK: Belarus has shared with Poland air situation data refuting accusations of violating Poland’s border by Belarusian helicopters, the Belarusian defense ministry said on Wednesday.
"The Belarusian defense ministry jointly with the foreign ministry presented to the Polish side detailed air situation data concerning the flights of Belarusian and Polish aircraft in the border area on August 1. The air situation data confirms that there are no grounds to accuse [Belarusian aircraft] of violating the state border," it said.
According to the Belarusian side, helicopters of the Belarusian air and air defense forces performed flights at an altitude of 150-200 meters and never approached the state border closer than 1,900 meters. The ministry also pointed to the fact that a Polish Mi-2 helicopter was flying 200 meters from the border.
Moreover, according to the Belarusian defense ministry, the Polish side was duly notified about the scheduled helicopter flights. "Evidently, it is absolutely illogical to venture any provocative actions in a situation when the other side is keeping a close eye on aircraft flights," the ministry stressed, adding that during the flights Belarusian pilots were in contact with the Polish side, which voiced no claims to the Belarusian side.
On Tuesday, the Polish government said that two Belarusian helicopters had crossed over into Poland’s air space near Bialowieza. After that, the Polish Foreign Ministry summoned the Belarusian interim charge d’affaires in Warsaw. According to the Polish Defense Ministry, the helicopters crossed the border at a very low altitude, which complicates radar tracking. This is why the command said in the morning that no border violations had been recorded.
Meanwhile in Minsk, the Belarusian Defense Ministry characterized the Polish accusations that Belarusian Air Force Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters and Air Defense Troops had violated the border as "far-fetched." According to Minsk, the charges served merely as another pretext for the Polish leadership to ramp-up the movement of military personnel and equipment to Poland’s border zone with Belarus.
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