Belarusian intel. chief claims thwarting Lithuanian drone attack

By Elena Teslova and Burc Eruygur

MOSCOW/ISTANBUL (AA) - Head of the Belarusian State Security Committee (KGB) Ivan Tertel on Thursday accused Lithuania of attempting a drone strike on its capital Minsk.

Speaking on the sidelines of the All-Belarusian Congress in Minsk, Tertel said the intelligence agency in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies carried out “acute security measures” that allowed to stop the strike with combat drones.

“The State Security Committee, in cooperation with colleagues from other law enforcement agencies, has recently carried out a number of acute security measures that prevented combat drone strikes from the territory of Lithuania against facilities in Minsk and its suburbs,” he said.

Lithuanian military spokesman Gintautas Ciunis rejected the claims in a statement to state news network LRT, describing them as "misinformation" and “nonsense.”