Belarus Says Ukrainian Media Spreading Lies About Cross-Border Shooting

MINSK (Sputnik) - The Belarusian border agency warned on Sunday that Ukrainian media had been spreading disinformation about a shootout on their shared border that allegedly left a Ukrainian soldier dead.

"Several internet sources… have referenced Ukrainian media that alleged that a cross-border shooting happened at the border with Ukraine on February 25," State Border Committee spokesperson Anton Bychkovsky told Sputnik.

"The information spread by extremists is far from reality. There were no incidents involving firearms and border guards did not open fire," he added.

Separately, the chief of the information and analysis department at the general staff of the Belarusian armed forces said on Sunday that the country would revise its defense posture to designate organizations calling for war in Belarus as a national security risk.

Artyom Butorin told state news channel STV that the draft marked transition from the concept of a security risk as a combination of factors to a more nuanced approach that included "terrorist organizations promoting civil war in Belarus" as well as "traitors" and "saboteurs."