Belarus notifying Poland about incoming Russian drones was “not an act of goodwill” on the part of Minsk, but a self-serving move by Moscow’s ally to shirk accountability for the incursion, a Polish defense expert has said.
General Wiesław Kukuła, Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, said last Wednesday that Belarus had informed Warsaw about a wave of Russian drones entering Polish airspace during a large-scale incursion in the early hours of that day.
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Kukuła added that the advance warning was “helpful for us” but somewhat “surprising,” given Minsk’s support for Russia in the war in Ukraine and tensions along the border with Poland.
“The Belarusians warned us that drones were heading towards us through their airspace,” Kukuła said, adding that Poland accepted the tip-off and reciprocated by sharing information about objects flying towards Belarus.
‘They only washed their hands’
However, Maksymilian Dura, a Polish defense expert, told state news agency PAP that while the move helped Poland neutralize the incoming drones, it was primarily aimed at avoiding real responsibility.
“It was good that the Belarusians passed along information about objects heading toward Poland, because it in some way helped our air defense, and at the same time we got confirmation that these were Russian drones; but in this way, they only washed their hands,” Dura said.
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“It would have been an act of goodwill if Belarus had prevented something from flying through its territory and entering another country. But in this way, they only washed their hands,” he added.
Lukashenko’s veneer of neutrality
Commenting on Minsk’s unexpected move, Dura said that although Belarus is highly dependent on Russia, the country’s strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko seeks to maintain some degree of autonomy, as seen in the fact that Belarusian troops are not fighting in Ukraine.
“This shows that Belarus is trying to maintain not so much neutrality as autonomy in using its armed forces,” he said.
Nevertheless, Belarus provides equipment to Russia and lends its airspace, as exemplified by the raid on Poland, he added.
Lukashenko is a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, having allowed Belarus to serve as a launchpad for Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Minsk and Moscow are currently conducting their scheduled “Zapad” military drills, which some Western officials have warned could serve as a prelude to potential further Russian aggression in the region.
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