“Do not test our patience”: Belarus addresses Ukraine at the UN after bus strike near Bryansk

Belarus has urged Ukraine “not to test its patience” following a drone strike on a bus carrying Belarusian citizens in Russia’s Bryansk region.

The statement was made by Belarus’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Valentin Rybakov, during a UN Security Council meeting convened over the drone attack on the bus.

According to him, the strike was a “deliberate act of violence against civilians,” rather than an accident, and was “directed and controlled.”

“Belarus is not taking part in the armed conflict. Any attempts at pressure or intimidation, ultimatums, or threats against Belarus and its leadership are unacceptable. At the same time, we strongly recommend that no one further test the patience of the Belarusian side, and under no circumstances interpret the absence of an immediate harsh response as weakness, indecision, or cowardice,” Belarus’s representative to the UN said.

Ukraine denies involvement in the strike, saying it may have been a provocation by Russia.

Rybakov also stated that countries providing military support to Ukraine are “direct participants in the war” and are contributing to its continuation.

At the same time, he said that dialogue between Minsk and Kyiv remains in place, “is producing results,” and will continue.

“It is enough to say that all exchanges of prisoners of war and the bodies of those killed between the Russian and Ukrainian sides take place with our assistance on the territory of the Republic of Belarus. All of this should be taken into account before making accusations publicly and staging provocations,” Rybakov said.

It should be recalled that tensions between Minsk and Kyiv are currently escalating. Against the backdrop of threats by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to strike Belarus, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko visited Moscow and Beijing.