Belarus accuses Lithuania of UAV provocation

MINSK, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- Belarus has accused Lithuania of deliberately using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to target the country and Poland.

The Belarusian Foreign Ministry summoned Lithuania's charge d'affaires Erikas Vilkanecas to protest a drone launch from Lithuanian soil that breached Belarus's airspace on Sunday.

In a statement on Monday, the ministry condemned the incident as a "deliberate provocation" that threatens security and violates international norms, including the Convention on International Civil Aviation.

The Western European-manufactured UAV entered Belarus from the Lazdijai district, dropped extremist propaganda in Grodno, and was programmed to fly to Poland before returning to Lithuania, the ministry said.

Belarus demanded that Lithuania provide details on the operator and the drone's purpose, conduct an investigation, punish those responsible, and prevent future incidents.

Belarus reserves the right to protect its sovereignty and security, the ministry added. Enditem