"On August 10, 2024 the Charge d'Affaires of Ukraine in the Republic of Belarus was summoned to the Foreign Ministry. The Belarusian side lodged a strong protest and handed the Note to the Ukrainian diplomat in connection with the violation of the border of the Republic of Belarus by a group of unmanned aerial vehicles launched from the territory of Ukraine," the ministry said in a statement.
Belarus demanded that comprehensive measures be taken to avoid similar incidents in the future, which could lead to further escalation of the situation in the region, the statement read.
The Ukrainian diplomat was warned that "in the event of a repetition of such provocations, the Belarusian side reserved the right to take retaliatory steps to protect its territory."
"It was particularly pointed out that if the Ukrainian diplomatic mission in Belarus was unable to influence the prevention of such provocations, the Belarusian side would question the necessity of its continued presence in Minsk," the ministry said.
Earlier in the day, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has ordered the Defense Ministry to bolster military presence in the southern regions bordering Ukraine. Special operations units, and missile complexes have been sent to the Gomel and Mozyr tactical directions, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin was quoted as saying by state news agency Belta.
The defense minister said the decision was taken following reports of fighting in the western Russian region of Kursk. The Belarusian military is closely watching the situation unfolding in Kursk and in Ukraine and is ready to react, he said.
The flight of Ukrainian drones over Belarus toward Russia could have been aimed at involving Minsk in the conflict, Chief of the International Military Cooperation Department, Assistant to the Belarusian Defense Minister for Foreign Military Policy Maj. Gen. Valery Revenko, said.
"On August 9, [Belarusian] Air Defense destroyed several UAVs over the Gomel region. Our air border was violated by [Ukraine]. After the decision to withdraw [Belarusian] Armed Forces from [the Ukrainian] border in July 2024, these actions can be seen as provocation and attempt to involve [Belarus] in the conflict," Revenko said on X.
Additionally, Khrenin said that the unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed at 16:04 GMT. The drones that flew beyond the Belarusian airspace were escorted by the Russian air defense units and destroyed as well, the defense minister added.
Minsk views the move as a provocation against Belarus, he said.