Belarus is now reporting alleged plans for an EU-instigated attack on its capital, Minsk, using Lithuania in particular as a staging ground, according to the country’s top security official, Ivan Tertel.
Ivan Tertel, head of the Belarusian State Security Committee (KGB), claims to have recently prevented a potential attack on the country. According to him, attack drones were being used from Lithuania to attack targets in and around the capital, Minsk.
The claims were backed by members of the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly during a speech by Ivan Tertel on Thursday last week.
🇧🇾🇱🇹 Belarusian special services prevented drone strikes from the territory of Lithuania on targets in Minsk,KGB chief Ivan Tertel said.
In addition,the Ministry says that Ukraine has trained up to a thousand militants who are planned to be used to occupy settlements in Belarus pic.twitter.com/SbE4VGEQZV
— BoxWar (@UkraineWarVid) April 25, 2024
In his speech, Mr. Tertel expressed concern about the global level of tension and pointed out the destructive intentions of Western countries towards Belarus. He argued that the U.S. and its allies “seek control over Belarus and its resources”.
According to him, countries such as Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine are serving as bases for Western support of “radical groups” that could potentially “destabilize Belarus and its government”.
Lithuania denies
Lithuania denies any knowledge of such an attack and strongly rejects the accusations. EU officials have not yet commented on the reports.
#Lithuania summoned #Belarus diplomat to demand that Minsk refute allegations that it had attacked its neighbor.#KGB chief Ivan Tertel told delegates at the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly the previous day that his agency had prevented drone attacks from Lithuania targeting… pic.twitter.com/6Rv85SFqIE
— Pozirk (@Pozirk_online) April 26, 2024
Ivav Tertel also stated that Belarus had foiled more than 40 “criminal operations” since the beginning of 2023, including attempts to smuggle weapons into the country from Ukraine. He also accused the Ukrainian SBU of several attempted terrorist attacks in both Belarus and Russia.
According to Tertel, Ukraine has plans to use Belarusian citizens to take over territory and install a Western-backed government. In his speech, he named a specific hospital in Kiev that he claimed was serving as a base of operations for “the Ukrainian-backed radicals”.
Tensions between Belarus and its Western neighbors remain a key issue, not least in light of the war in Ukraine. Whether Minsk can actually provide concrete evidence of the alleged EU-led plan to attack Minsk remains to be seen.
