RFE
05 Dec 2021, 04:15 GMT+10
Belarus's border authority has alleged, without producing evidence, that a Ukrainian military helicopter flew up to a kilometer into Belarusian territory, underscoring increasingly tense bilateral relations as Minsk and its ally Moscow test Western resolve in the region.
Ukrainian officials did not immediately comment on the accusation by the Belarusian state border service on December 4, which said the alleged overflight happened during military drills, according to Russian news agency RIA Novosti.
There was no outside confirmation of such a violation.
Belarus is engaged in a bitter diplomatic standoff with the West over Alyaksandr Lukashenka's crackdown on dissent since a disputed election in 2020 and what the European Union has called his 'weaponization' of Middle Eastern migrants to create a crisis on Belarus's border with EU members Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.
The European Union, United States, and other Western powers this week imposed a fifth round of sanctions on Lukashenka and his elites over alleged rights and other abuses.
SEE ALSO: Belarus Threatens 'Harsh' Response After EU And Allies Expand Sanctions
Lukashenka has increasingly relied on the diplomatic, economic, and military support of Moscow, which has recently staged joint military drills and last month launched regular air patrols over Belarus's western border.
Russia has also been accused of a major troop buildup in its west in what Kyiv and Washington have suggested is part of preparations for a possible invasion of Ukraine.
SEE ALSO: Biden Says He'll Make It 'Very Difficult' For Russia To Attack Ukraine
In July, Lukashenka fully closed Belarus's border with Ukraine after he alleged that the United States and its allies had been plotting a coup to topple him from power, the latest such accusation rejected by Washington or its allies.
Minsk on November 30 reversed policy to recognize Russia's 2014 seizure of Crimea from Ukraine -- a takeover that has been overwhelmingly rejected in the United Nations -- as Kyiv continues to battle Kremlin-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Meanwhile, many of the thousands of Iraqis and other migrants from the Middle East hoping to travel to the West remain camped out in Belarus near the Polish border.
Belarusian sources have said thousands have already been flown back to the Middle East since Turkey and other countries began cooperating more closely to thwart Minsk's alleged efforts to ship in migrants to put pressure on the EU border.
Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Republished with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Washington DC 20036
Get a daily dose of Greek Herald news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Greek Herald.
More InformationDUBAI, UAE - The bustling real estate market in Dubai has surged to unprecedented heights, reporting transactions valued at over ...
ANKARA, Turkey: During a meeting, Michael Evans, President of the Alibaba Group, told Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan that the Chinese ...
LONDON, UK: In a deal aimed at securing the future of the British steel industry, the United Kingdom (UK) government ...
BERLIN, Germany: Mercedes-Benz has been warned that Germany could issue a recall for some autos found to have pollution-defeat devices ...
ABU DHABI, 22nd September, 2023 (WAM) -- Etihad Airways is doubling its daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Kuala Lumpur, ...
U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey and his wife were indicted Friday on charges that they took bribes of ...
washington - The European Union and its Western partners are grappling with how to maintain diplomatic relations in the Sahel ...
The United States is the only Western nation among the world's 50 most conflict-ridden countries, according to new research that ...
INSTANBUL - As the Turkish government has stepped up its pledges to protect family values, members of the LGBTQ community ...
Washington, DC [US], September 23 (ANI): The I2U2 group of India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States ...
Warsaw is hoping for Washington to intervene in the grain dispute with Kiev, according to Deputy FM Arkadiusz MularczykWashington should ...
The accession process is expected to be formally discussed by EU leaders in DecemberThe European Union's executive branch, the European ...