Belarus claims mercenaries plan to destabilize situation in country

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – A Belarusian official claimed on Tuesday that authorities are aware of plans to destabilize the situation in the country via mercenaries.

Belarusians fighting in Ukraine also plan "subversive activities" in Belarus with the help of mercenaries who were trained in the West, said Andrey Ananeko, the head of the Belarusian Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption (MDCOCC).

"Employees of the MDCOCC of the Interior Ministry are aware that members of extremists and terrorist organizations abroad ... are plotting destabilization in Belarus. They may use mercenaries and individuals trained in the West," he said.

Ananeko added that Belarusians fighting on Ukraine's side in the so-called Kalinovsky regiment, a group of Belarusian opposition volunteers, have relatives in Belarus, who organize "covert cells, promoting criminal activity and recruiting citizens to participate in armed actions on the territory of Ukraine."

According to the official, some 200 Belarusian nationals were identified as fighters of the Kalinovsky regiment. Also, 11 people have been brought to criminal responsibility since 2022 for attempting to leave Belarus to join paramilitary formations as mercenaries.

"Today, more than 20 people are known to have been killed during a special military operation. The number of wounded and missing goes to dozens, there are prisoners and deserters as well," he said.

Ananeko said that the Belarusian law enforcement established connections between Belarusian nationals fighting in Ukraine and their "contacts" in Belarus, who are "systematically being checked for (intentions to organize) subversive activities in the country and assistance to foreign radical initiatives."