Four planes were shot down in the Bryansk region on May 13, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said during a visit to the central command post of the Air Force and Air Defense Forces, transmits “Beltas”. Russian authorities have confirmed the crash of a single helicopter.
“Let’s look at what is happening in our country, mainly in the air. <…> In my opinion, the situation is not critical now. But nevertheless, there are alarming factors,” the President of Belarus said.
He clarified that he was referring to the events in the Bryansk region, “when four planes were shot down”. “We had to react. Since then, we have been on heightened alert – our troops,” Lukashenko said. According to him, since May 13, after reports of a plane crash in the Bryansk region, Belarusian troops were transferred to readiness level one.
On May 13, military correspondents and pro-military telegram channels reported the downing of four aircraft in the Bryansk region: two Mi-8 helicopters, one Su-34 fighter-bomber and one Su-35 aircraft. Governor of Bryansk region Alexander Bogomaz confirmed the crash of a helicopter, without specifying its model and affiliation.
Kommersant wrote that an air group of two Mi-8s, Su-34 and Su-35, flying on a mission in the Chernihiv region of Ukraine, was shot down. The Russian Defense Ministry did not comment on the information.
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