Belarusian jet prompts air raid alert in Ukraine from Belarus

An unidentified aerial target that entered Ukraine from Belarus has been identified as a Yak-130 fighter jet of the Belarusian Air Force. Consequently, an air raid alarm was announced in the Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions. The Air Force announced that the threat has been repelled.

The Kyiv Post was amongst those reporting the entry of an unidentified aerial target into Ukraine from Belarus.

As reported, the object was heading south. Consequently, an air raid alarm was announced in the Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions.

Before 2:00 PM Greenwich Time, the Ukrainian Air Force communicated that it was a Yak-130 training-combat aircraft. This information was based on independent reports from the Belarusian Hajun service.

Anton Gerashchenko, an advisor to Ukraine's Minister of Internal Affairs, later communicated on X that the alarm was cancelled.

Speculations are emerging online suggesting that the Belarusian regime aimed to "test Ukraine's reactions".

Since 10 August, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus and the Air Force of the Republic of Belarus have been relocating to the Homel region, bordering Ukraine. The reason for moving the troops south was the situation in Ukraine and the Kursk region in Russia.

On 25 August, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement directly highlighting the threat posed by the Belarusian army's presence near the borders.

The warning addressed to the regime in Minsk stated that "all troop concentrations, military facilities, and supply routes in Belarus will become legitimate targets for the Armed Forces of Ukraine." Ukrainian diplomacy announced that "in case of a violation of Ukraine's state border by Belarus, our state will take all necessary measures to exercise the right to self-defence."