A Ukrainian missile was shot down in Belarus. Everything known about the incident – in one article.
"The target was destroyed after entering Belarus's airspace." How the Belarusian air defense forces
According to representatives of the Ministry of Defense of Belarus, radar reconnaissance assets detected an air target around 10:00 AM. The commander of the anti-aircraft missile division said that it was moving from the territory of Ukraine. The Belarusian military took the target under escort. After entering Belarus's airspace, the target was destroyed by air defense systems. Debris fell on a field near the village of Gorbakha, Ivanovo district.
Local investigators, representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the State Forensic Examination Committee immediately departed for the scene of the incident on the instructions of the head of state. Police officers cordoned off the scene. Later, the official representative of the Investigative Committee, Sergey Kabakovich, stated that, according to preliminary information, the debris belonged to an S-300 missile. Investigators thoroughly examined the scene and interviewed eyewitnesses. Objects that are of importance for the 
"The Belarusian side is taking this issue with the utmost seriousness." How the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus reacted to the incident
THE AMBASSADOR OF UKRAINE TO BELARUS, KYIV, WAS SUMMONED TO THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF BELARUS, AND A STRONG PROTEST WAS LODGED WITH HIM IN CONNECTION WITH THE INCIDENT WITH THE MISSILESeveral hours after the information about the fallen missile was released, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus summoned the Ambassador of Ukraine, Igor Kizim. A strong protest was declared to him in connection with the incident, which Belarus described as very serious. "And the Belarusian side takes this issue with the utmost seriousness. We demanded that the Ukrainian side conduct a thorough investigation into all the circumstances of the launch of the specified missile, bring the perpetrators to justice, and take exhaustive measures to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. Which could lead to catastrophic consequences for everyone," said Anatoly Glaz, press secretary of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, to journalists.
"Sooner or later it had to happen." What experts and political scientists think about the fall of the S-300 missile
Political scientist Alexander Shpakovsky, commenting on the fall of a Ukrainian missile on Belarusian territory on his Telegram channel, said that sooner or later it had to happen. According to the political scientist, Ukraine in its current form poses a threat to Belarus's security. The political scientist added that a political regime friendly to Belarus and Russia should be established in Ukraine.
"Perhaps this is a deliberate direction of the missile towards our country. For what purpose? Belarus recently put S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems on combat duty, as announced by the President of Belarus at a meeting with the President of Russia. And there is a desire to probe them (S-400s. - BELTA's note), to test the vigilance of our anti-aircraft gunners. I do not rule out such a scenario. Because the timing coincides very much. Given that drones have flown into our territory, and very often," independent military analyst Alexander Alesin shared his opinion with journalists on the ONT channel. He also noted the extremely tense situation on the Belarusian-Ukrainian border and the movement of Ukrainian reconnaissance groups.
Sergey Dik, a member of the Standing Commission on International Affairs of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus, called the incident a deliberate provocation on the air of ONT. The deputy is confident that it did not happen by chance. "Literally a few days ago, very successful negotiations between Alexander Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin concluded. Unprecedented agreements were reached, the highest degree of mutual trust. And it seems to me that this incident is partly related to casting a shadow on the agreements reached between our fraternal countries," Sergey Dik believes.
Russian military observer Viktor Baranets believes that Belarus itself might be blamed for the missile falling on its territory. At the same time, Viktor Baranets is convinced that Belarus has a huge number of experts who will easily determine its origin and trajectory. "The fact is that the Belarusians have already seen markings on this missile, and there are abbreviations there that are not on Belarusian missiles, also belonging to the S-300, even the complexes are different," the military observer stated. At the same time, Viktor Baranets particularly emphasized that the silence of the Ukrainian president is alarming: "Now, indeed, Biden, Blinken, the CIA chief, and the Pentagon are having a headache. And Zelensky is now shouting into the phone: what should I tell the world? I think he is being advised right now."
The head of the Eurasian Analytical Club, an expert of the Russian Council for International Affairs, political scientist Nikita Mendkovich also commented on the incident on the "Belarus 1" TV channel. "With a missile hitting the territory of Poland or Belarus, Ukraine is trying to expand the geography of the conflict in order to force NATO to intervene more closely. Ukraine is already lacking mobilization resources and technical support. Because of this, it is looking for ways to support its aggressive military actions with the direct participation of NATO troops. And involving Poland in the war or accusing Belarus of aggression would be beneficial for Kyiv," believes Nikita Mendkovich.
What do local residents say?
One of the pensioners living near the missile impact site said that her acquaintance's grandson ran to see what had happened. "He said that the missile is lying in the collective farm field, about 50 meters beyond our gardens, no further. Then the military and police arrived. We were told not to leave our homes because they might be detonating the missile. They said we were waiting for sappers and then they would tell us whether we could go out or not. Of course, it's Ukraine. Zelensky says: I can do anything. And what about you?
Ivan Kravchenko was doing chores at the time of the incident. The man was carrying firewood from the yard into the house when he heard a bang in the air. "I even crouched down. I thought: what is that? A couple of minutes later, I see something, maybe a fragment, spinning and falling behind the garden, about 100 meters away. I got curious to see what it was. I walked around, searched. I didn't find anything and went back," the man said. Ivan Kravchenko added that the whole village is discussing the incident. The women are particularly frightened. Many have children and grandchildren. "We have lived our lives peacefully, but what about them if, God forbid, something happens? It's painful for them," the man noted with bitterness.
"There was a loud explosion, everyone got scared. It sounded like the strongest thunder. It's very scary. I have children growing up, and I want them to grow up under a peaceful sky, not in fear," another local resident echoed her fellow villager.
"The wave was both sonic and shock. I was just leaving the house at that moment, I was even shaken. Then we went to look, and saw - a rocket lying there," - said another local resident.
Ministry of Defense of Ukraine stated its readiness to investigate the incident with the fallen missile
Late in the evening, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine stated that it was ready to investigate the incident with the missile that fell in Belarus. "The Ukrainian side, reserving the unconditional right to defense and protection of its own sky, is at the same time ready to conduct an objective investigation of the incident in Ukraine," the message on the website of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense reads. The Ukrainian military department emphasized that they are ready to invite experts to the investigation who "should not be associated with supporting Russia in any format."
