MINSK. June 6 (Interfax) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has signed a decree on banning flights of model aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles within certain parts of national airspace, the presidential press service said.
The document authorizes military service members, police officials, and employees of militarized security agencies to use physical force, special means, weapons, military and other special hardware to prevent flights of model aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles in such areas.
"These actions have been authorized to fight the unlawful use of unmanned aerial vehicles within no-fly zones and zones closed to model aircraft," it said.
The decree exempts officials who shot down or destroyed a drone from the obligation to compensate their owners for their loss.
At the present time, Belarusian airspace includes zones closed to model aircraft and no-fly zones within which no aircraft can fly without special permission, the press service said.
In particular, no-fly zones include parts of airspace over places where specially guarded officials are present, weapons and ammunition depots, oil refineries, petrochemical and chemical industry facilities, the Belarusian nuclear power plant, and others. "Any aircraft, including unmanned aerial vehicles, can fly within these zones only with special permission," it said.
The document qualifies a zone closed to model aircraft as part of airspace of a given size within which using model aircraft is forbidden without authorization by government agencies.
"International practice shows that the only efficient way to provide security in case of unsanctioned flights within such zones is the direct impact on such aerial vehicles," the press service said.