Belarus puts air defence forces on full combat alert after Russian aircraft crash in Bryansk region

This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Defense of Belarus.

During his visit to the air defense base, Lukashenko noted that the troops had been on high alert for several days.

"As reported to the president, on Saturday, after the incidents, we were put on the number one level of readiness," the statement said.

"Three days after the events near us. I mean in the Bryansk region, when four aircraft were shot down. We had to respond to that. Since then, we have been on higher alert - our troops," Lukasheno said.

• As a reminder, on May 13, 2023, 2 Mi-8 helicopters, a Su-34 and a Su-35 aircraft crashed in the Bryansk region bordering Ukraine. According to preliminary data, they could have been shot down by anti-aircraft missiles. 

• The spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, Yuriy Ihnat, said that Russian air defense was involved in the crashes in the Bryansk region.