Belarusian plane Yak-130. Photo: defense-ua
Today, a Belarusian Yak-130 combat training aircraft might have entered Ukrainian airspace, prompting an air raid alert in Kyiv and northern regions. While official confirmation regarding the type of aircraft is still pending, experts believe this was not accidental but rather a calculated provocation orchestrated by Russia using Belarus as a proxy. This was reported by RBK-Ukraine.
What Happened?
At 2:28 p.m., Ukraine’s Air Force reported a low-speed air object crossing the border from Belarus into Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions, heading south. A minute later, at 2:29 p.m., an air raid alert was declared in Kyiv and northern areas.
While the type of aircraft wasn’t specified, monitoring channels suggested it could be a Belarusian Yak-130. Telegram channel “Belaruski Hajun” stated that the aircraft crossed the Ukrainian-Belarusian border around 2:25 p.m. Preliminary reports indicated it was a Yak-130 from Belarus’ Air Force entering from the Gomel region. However, official confirmation is still lacking.
Why It Happened: Expert Theories
Alexander Musienko, head of the Center for Military-Legal Studies, shared his opinion with RBK-Ukraine that this could be a provocation conducted by Russia through Belarus.
“This wasn’t an accident. It’s likely a test of Ukrainian Air Force’s response, or even an attempt to locate air defense systems and conduct reconnaissance. Russia might be preparing to resume attacks from Belarus,” Musienko said.
He also suggested the possibility of an accidental incident, but he doubts this, given past actions from the Belarusian direction.
How Will Ukraine Respond?
Ukraine has clear protocols for handling such incidents. Musienko reminds that Ukraine’s airspace is closed to all foreign aircraft, except Ukrainian or allied planes with official clearance.
The first step is to issue a warning that the plane has violated Ukrainian airspace, demanding immediate departure. If the pilot ignores dispatcher warnings, Ukrainian aircraft are scrambled to issue further warnings, possibly using signal rockets.
If the aircraft refuses to comply or prepares to launch missiles, it will be shot down. Given that rockets were previously launched from Belarus toward Ukraine, the situation is taken very seriously.
“Ukraine will take decisive action, and if such incidents happen again, these planes will be shot down,” Musienko concluded.
