000212852
 ? Document 48 of 25 for FBIS `?"
 DOCK 000603236
 FBIS FBIS 0175:?19
 CLAS UNCLAS 31
 SERI WS1S09133595 Minsk ZVYAZDA in Belarusian 16 Sep 95 pp 1, 3
 TEXT (Report by Syarhey Khrypach:  "The Belarusians, Swiss, and Poles
 Are 'Blamed' for the Death of U.S. Balloonists.  Where Is the
 Truth?" -- first paragraph published in boldface; passage within
 slantlines published in italics]
 (F3IS Translated Text]  A number of questions and stories
 immediately surrounded the unique tragedy of the U.S. balloon which
 was downed over the country's territory.  So what actually happened
 in Bvarozawski rayon, Brest Oblast?  Was it a waft of a new "cold
 war," which would be very illogical and senseless in the current
 political situation?  Or was it absurdity that claimed the lives of
 two people?  To put it briefly, Belarus has -found itself facing a
 large international scandal:  On the one side of the barricade there
 is a small, independent, and neutral state which is just gaining
 prestige and renown in the world, and on the other side is the
 United States of America, a powerful state in all respects.
 To remove all doubts and insinuations, as well as to issue an
 official statement for the foreign press, the members of the state
 commission for investigating the aircraft accident, which was set up
 at the president's personal instruction, provided details of their
 investigation on 14 September.  They were reported by Yury Sivakow,
 commission deputy chairman and chief of the Belarusian Security
 Council Operational Department, First Deputy Foreign Minister
 valeryy Tsapkala, and State Aviation Committee Chairman Ryhor
 Fyodaraw.
 So, at 0914 on 12 September, the Antiaircraft Defense detected a
 balloon in Belarusian airspace.  The servicemen were surprised by
 the balloon's unexpected appearance, since they had no information
 about it.  The central command post examined all applications (for
 flight perai.ts) .  As a result of the examination, they concluded
 that this flying object should not have been in that place at that
 time, since there was no application concerning it.  Following this,
 Major General valeryy Kastenka,'commander of the Antiaircraft
 Defense, in accordance with normative acts, decided to declare the
 highest alert.
 At 1136 a take-off order was sent to Pruzhany airfield.  A MI-24
 combat helicopter took off with the mission to clarify all required
 information about the aircraft and to identify it.  In particular,
 the crew was instructed not to get closer to the object than 50
 meters.
 After a period of time, the chopper approached the "UFO" at
 100
 meters.  This took place 4 km from another airbase -- Asowtsy.
 The
 helicopter crew reported the following:
 /"We can see a small balloon with a diamter of 3 or 4 meters.  An
 attachment resembling a closed freight container hangs on the rope.
 The entire construction weighs approximately 1 tonne.  There are no
 identifying signs.  Nobody is answering inquiries on the 121.5 mHz
 international emergency frequency.  The object is moving at an
 altitude of 2,300 meters in a north-easterly direction over a
 military airfield: and near a deployment site of Strategic Missile Approve  for Release
 Troop units."/
 The MI-24 fired warning shots from 600 meters:  There was no
 reaction.  Following this, the Air Defense commander himself gave
 the order to destroy the balloon.  The helicopter maneuvered, made a
 180-degree turn, and at 1154 -- three minutes after firing the first
 000212852
 machine gun.   Some 20 bullets pierced the balloon, and the gondola
 plunged from 2,300 meters and crashed 8 kilometers east of Byaroaa,
 in a forest near the village of Kruhlaye.
 Soon after this, another two balloons were detected.   They were
 also warned by a helicopter, but it did not come to shooting, since
 their crews responded to radio inquiries and identified their
 nationality by displaying U.S. flags.  The first balloon landed in
 the vicinity of Zelva at 1500, and the second landed near Luninets
 at 1815, and servicemen from Dawyd-Haradok accommodated the crew in
 their barracks.
 (THIS REPORT MAY CONTAIN COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL. COPYING AND
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 OWNERS .)
 19 SEP 0417zon
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