Belarus activists claim Russia A-50 attack

Belarusian anti-government activists claimed an attack on a Russian surveillance aircraft near Minsk with a drone. Russia said China's peace plan should be carefully analyzed. DW rounds up the latest.

Anti-government activists in Belarus have claimed responsibility for an attack on a Russian Beriev A-50 surveillance aircraft at an airfield near Minsk.

They said the clandestine operation was carried out by a drone.

Alexander Azarau, the leader of the ByPol opposition organization, told Poland-based exile media channel Belsat the Machulishchi attack was conducted by Belarusians who have fled the country and were "in good hands."

Franak Viacorka, an adviser to Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, applauded the attack on Twitter as "the most successful diversion" since the start of 2022.

"Glory to Belarusian partisans," he tweeted.

"I am proud of all Belarusians who continue to resist the Russian hybrid occupation of Belarus & fight for the freedom of Ukraine," Tsikhanouskaya wrote on Twitter.

The Russian aircraft Beriev A-50, also known as Mainstay by NATO, has command and control capabilities and the ability to track up to 60 targets at a time.

Acts of sabotage in Belarus, which shares a border with both Ukraine and Russia, have been common since Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago.

The country's autocratic leader Alexander Lukashenko is dependent on the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Last year, Minsk allowed Moscow to use its territory for launching attacks on Ukraine.

Here are some of the other notable developments concerning the war in Ukraine on Monday, February 27:

Moscow analyzing details of China peace plan, Kremlin says

A peace plan presented by China last week was the subject of detailed analysis, the Kremlin said on Monday, adding that Moscow saw no signs as of yet that a peaceful resolution could be achieved in Ukraine.

"We are paying a great deal of attention to the plan of our Chinese friends," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday. "Of course, the details need to be painstakingly analyzed taking into account the interests of all the different sides. This is a very long and intense process."

President Vladimir Putin R and Chinese State Councillor Wang Yishake hands during a meeting at Moscow s Kremlin.President Vladimir Putin R and Chinese State Councillor Wang Yishake hands during a meeting at Moscow s Kremlin, reports DW.

China has maintained close communication with Moscow throughout the warImage: Anton Novoderezhkin/ITAR-TASS/IMAGO

The plan urges both sides to agree to a gradual de-escalation. It also warns against the use of nuclear weapons, which Russia has recently been hinting at.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Foreign Ministry stressed it has always maintained communication with all sides in the conflict.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, who had declared a "no limits" alliance with his Russian counterpart days before the invasion of Ukraine, has spoken to Vladimir Putin several times since the start of the war.

Communication with the Ukrainian side however has been scarce.

China prepares for Belarus's Lukashenko state visit

Meanwhile, China is getting prepared to welcome Belarus's autocratic president and Putin ally Alexander Lukashenko, who is visiting Beijing for three days at the invitation of Xi.

China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning hailed in a regular press briefing on Monday the two-countries' 31-year-long diplomatic relations as well as the "political mutual trust" between them.

"China looks forward to working with Belarus to take this visit as an opportunity to promote all-round cooperation between the two countries for further development," she said.