Belarus Scrambled Helicopters to Intercept Balloons with Anti-Government Symbols Launched from Lithuania

Belarusian military aviation and air defense forces have "intercepted eight balloons with anti-government symbols" that reportedly were launched from Lithuanian territory, according to a statement from the Belarusian Ministry of Defense, as reported by meduza.io.

The Ministry of Defense stated that on August 23 at around 19:30, the balloons attempted to breach Belarusian airspace in the Oshmyany district, which borders Lithuania.

“Thanks to decisive actions taken by the crews of Mi-24 helicopters, the flight of the balloons was prevented without the use of weapons,” the defense ministry's statement said.

The department did not specify what kind of “anti-government symbol” was being referred to. A photograph published on the Belarusian Twitter account “Чай з варэннем” shows that the balloons were adorned with a white-red-white flag, which is used by Belarusians during protests that began after the presidential elections.

The Belarusian Ministry of Defense described the incident as a "provocation by the Republic of Lithuania." It was noted that the military has sent “relevant materials” to the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue a note to the Lithuanian side regarding this matter.