On the night of February 13, 2025, Gomel residents reported loud explosions and bright flashes in the sky, presumably related to the operation of the air defense system. Eyewitnesses from the village of Romanovichi and the Volotovo microdistrict noted powerful sounds and observed falling burning objects. Official bodies have not yet provided comments regarding the incident.

In response to the situation that has arisen, the Gomel Regional Executive Committee (Regional Executive Committee) appealed to citizens to remain calm and not to succumb to possible provocations. In a message distributed through the official channel of the ideology department, residents were asked to trust information only from verified sources and to wait for official statements, without explaining the situation.

This is not the first time that such incidents involving unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have occurred in the airspace of Belarus. Thus, on the night of September 5, 2024, two explosions were recorded in the Gomel region, caused by the destruction of drones that violated the state border. A representative of the Belarusian Defense Ministry then reported that the air defense forces on duty promptly detected and eliminated the violating targets.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko previously announced agreements with Ukraine not to cover in the media cases of violations of the state border by drones on both sides. He explained this by the fact that such incidents could be related to the operation of electronic warfare systems that knock the devices off course. Lukashenko emphasized that Belarus advocates a peaceful settlement of conflicts and called on Western countries not to view the republic as a possible place of escalation.

In August 2024, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry invited the EU Chargé d'Affaires to discuss the incident with Ukrainian UAVs that violated Belarusian airspace. Markings of EU manufacturers were found on the wreckage of the downed drones, which caused concern on the Belarusian side. The Belarusian Foreign Ministry called on the European Union to influence the Ukrainian leadership to prevent such violations in the future.

At this time, officials have not provided any additional information about the February 13 night incident.