Belarus detains Ukrainian sabotage group at border: President Lukashenko

MOSCOW

A Ukrainian sabotage group was detained as a result of a counter terrorism operation, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said on Friday.

The group detained on the Belarusian-Ukrainian border was engaged in transporting explosives from Ukraine to Belarus and Russia, Lukashenko told reporters in Minsk.

"Just today, several saboteurs were detained on the Ukrainian border. With the help of drones, some of the Ukrainian citizens crawled across the marshes to our border, were transferring explosives to commit sabotage primarily on the territory of Russia and Belarus," he said.

According to him, incidents involving attempts to infiltrate saboteurs into Belarus occur up to three times a week.

The Belarusian authorities declared on Thursday a counter-terrorism operation in Lelchitsky district of Homiel region, which adjoins Ukraine's Zhytomyr Oblast.

The Belarusian authorities have repeatedly accused Ukraine of sending sabotage groups to the country.

The former Soviet republic has supported Moscow in its “special military operation” against Kyiv.