MINSK, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Belarus and its allies will take action against any provocations at its borders, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Belarusian Armed Forces Vladimir Kupriyanyuk said Friday.
Kupriyanyuk said that "the intensity of provocative and demonstrative actions" by Ukrainian forces had not diminished, adding that unmanned aerial vehicles had repeatedly violated the Belarusian border, according to the Defense Ministry.
"In general, given the growing presence of special forces, mercenaries and various volunteer formations at the border areas, there is a high probability of preparing and carrying out armed provocations on our territory," Kupriyanyuk was quoted as saying at a press briefing.
"Despite the difficult situation on the southern border, there is no escalation on our part, and there will be no escalation in the future," he noted.
"We, together with our allies, will definitely respond to any attempts at provocative actions. I am confident that common sense will prevail," Kupriyanyuk said.
He said that in this context, measures are being taken to reinforce security along the country's southern border, and forces are conducting regular exercises to effectively counter any potential provocations.
