The missile attack on Ukraine from the territory of Belarus on Saturday morning is a large-scale provocation by Russia aimed at further involvement of Belarus in the war against Ukraine, it was the first time when airstrikes were launched against Ukraine directly from the territory of Belarus, the Main Intelligence Agency of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine has said.

"On the night of June 25, a mass missile attack was mounted on the territory of Ukraine. In particular, the Russian aircraft operated directly from the territory of Belarus. Six Tu-22M3 aircraft were used to launch twelve X-22 cruise missiles. The attacks were mounted from the district near the town of Petrikov, not far from Mozyr, approximately 50-60 kilometers from the state border of Ukraine. The aircraft took off from the Shaykovka Airport in Kaluga region, Russia. They crossed the territories of Kaluga and Smolensk regions and entered the air space of Belarus," it said.

Having launched the missiles, the aircraft returned to the Shaykovka Airport in the territory of Russia, the intelligence agency said, adding that the attacks were targeted at Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Sumy regions.

"This was the first case of launching an airstrike on Ukraine directly from the territory of Belarus. Today's attack was directly connected with the attempts of the Kremlin authorities to involve Belarus in the war against Ukraine as a full participant," it said.