Belarusian border guards claim to have shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle at the border with Ukraine and call its launch a deliberate provocation.

The Border Committee of Belarus press service reported this in its official social media accounts.

According to the Belarusians, Pinsk border guards discovered a quadcopter 100 meters away from the Belarusian-Ukrainian border, which was heading from the Ukrainian side to the territory of the Republic of Belarus.

The incident occurred on November 16 in the Kobryn district. A DJI Mavic 3 commercial drone was shot down by border guards with a Kalashnikov assault rifle. The quadcopter was equipped with a video camera and was used for reconnaissance and filming of technical means of border protection on the territory of Belarus.

In addition to the direction of movement, which was announced by the border guards, the origin of the drone could be determined by the logo of the Come Back Alive Foundation, which equips the Defense Forces of Ukraine with similar UAVs.

As the Belarusian border service reports, a similar incident occurred on November 2, but in the Gomel district.

Then, border guards noticed a quadcopter one kilometer away from the Belarusian-Ukrainian border heading from the Ukrainian side to the territory of the Republic of Belarus.

The Belarusian border guards forcefully landed this drone.

According to the Border Committee of Belarus press service, an analysis of the drone’s memory card data confirmed its origin: the drone was launched from Ukrainian territory.

Belarusian experts allegedly established that the quadcopter was used by the Ukrainian paramilitary units at the border with the Republic of Belarus.

Photos and videos were discovered on the recovered memory card, which indicates that the drone was equipped with an infrared vision system. UAVs were allegedly used for training in moving and dropping explosive devices, as well as conducting reconnaissance and filming technical means of border protection on the territory of the Republic of Belarus.

Similar incidents are taking place amid the preparations of the Ukrainian Defense Forces to repel a possible re-invasion from the territory of the Republic of Belarus.