By 2024-07-08T05:00:00+01:00 BELARUS: The Mazyr tramway which is owned and operated by the oil refinery which it serves is about to take delivery of its first new trams since the 20 km line opened in 1988 BKM was awarded a contract to supply 10 Type T811 fully low-floor four-axle trams The first four were scheduled to arrive in February but they have been delayed because of the impact of international sanctions on the supplier The 1 524 mm gauge trams will be 16·5 m long with 35 seats and a total capacity of 160 passengers audio-visual systems and ticket validators RUSSIA: The BKM-Siberia joint venture of Belarussian manufacturer Belkommunmash and the city of Novosibirsk unveiled its first rebodied partially low-floor Type T701 tram at the Siberian Transport Forum trade fair which was held in the city during June RUSSIA: Belarusian manufacturer BKM has delivered the first three of 12 T811 trams for use in the city of Samara The trams are being leased from Sberbank Leasing under a seven-year agreement worth 1·1bn roubles The fully low-floor single-section cars have a maximum speed of 60 .. KAZAKHSTAN: Sole bidder BKM Holding of Belarus has been awarded a contract to supply trams to Öskemen The order covers four partly low-floor AKSM-62103 four-axle vehicles costing 182·5m tenge each The manufacturer said the vehicles would be built to a .. Site powered by Webvision Cloud Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Article27 May 2022, 16:27MediazonaMapping the looting 58 tonnes worth of packages shipped to Russian cities from the border with Ukraine (plus a military drone) Following the first reports of mass shipping of packages from the Belarusian city of Mazyr Mediazona continued to track Russian soldiers’ use of the CDEK delivery service We monitored 13 towns around Ukraine’s borders with Russia and Belarus and discovered not only an anomalous rise in shipments but also some unusual postal links between cities One instance even indicated that Russian soldiers were probably stealing not only from Ukrainians Mediazona compiled an expanded list of towns to monitor that included all the branches of CDEK near the borders with Ukraine We put together a new map of shipments and analysed several dozen hours of footage from the security camera in Valuyki in Russian Belgorod Oblast The interactive map below shows the volume of shipments sent to different cities in Russia You can zoom in and out of the map using the mouse wheel or two fingers on mobile devices Rotate by pressing the right mouse button or using the slider on mobile devices CDEK offers its customers an online parcel tracking service and for each order number the company’s website shows a detailed route from the drop-off point to the parcel’s destination the service does not provide any sender details and shows only the recipient's initials Although the weight of the parcel is not displayed on the website it is accessible if you look at the webpage source code The largest order we found weighed 381 kilograms; it was sent from the border town of Rylsk in Kursk region to the suburbs of Ekaterinburg If you go through the numbers and keep track of the changes in shipment dates you can pinpoint the first and last packages sent on a given day we collected data on all CDEK shipments since February 21 The percentage of missing or unfulfilled shipments is 1.75% Our calculations only count orders that had been accepted for dispatch at the time of our data collection orders registered but not yet handed over to CDEK were excluded from the total weight calculation We chose 46 CDEK branches located near the border with Ukraine in Belarus we checked for destinations with more than two large shipments incoming in one day from packing stations near the border we compiled a list of 60 suspect postal destinations We intentionally did not investigate parcels sent to Moscow and St Petersburg due to high level of postal traffic with these cities from all branches We also excluded parcels sent to neighbouring regions Suspect packages were found at 13 CDEK branches located near the border: in Armiansk and Dzhankoi in Crimea in Boguchar and Rossosh in Voronezh region in Zheleznogorsk and Rylsk in Kursk region Novozybkov and Unecha in Bryansk region and in Mazyr If we try and match those locations to major prongs of the Russian assault in Ukraine Valuiki would coincide with the offensive on Kharkiv Dzhankoi and Armiansk to Kherson-Melitopol The average weight of the packages received at a destination is a clear indicator of whether said destination is suspect The graph below shows all the cities that have received a total of more than a tonne worth of packages from these CDEK near-border branches since the end of February But the average weight of a package headed for Moscow isn’t much which means a lot of lightweight goods are being sent to the capital the infamous town of Rubtsovsk sticks out like a sore thumb having received more than two tonnes of packages from the border Their average weight is eight times more than that of Moscow Miass and other towns are likewise conspicuous having received many tonnes worth of packages the Ukrainian authorities said that some Russian troops had withdrawn from Kyiv region the Pentagon confirmed that the Russian army had completely withdrawn from the northern regions of Ukraine the volume of suspect shipments from border towns gradually increased the total weight of suspect shipments rose to three tonnes in exactly one week almost 13,5 tonnes of suspicious cargo were shipped from the town of Valuiki between February 21 and May 15 The town is located some 30 kilometres from the Ukrainian border and 20 kilometres from the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic over 13 tonnes worth of goods were shipped from Klintsy a town 60 kilometres from the Ukrainian border From the now well-known town of Novozybkov more than seven tonnes of suspicious goods were shipped And in fourth place is the Belarusian town of Mazyr where the military shipments were originally spotted In order to prove that such a large volume of shipments isn’t simply an indication of stable social ties between towns on the border and those in Siberia we checked how many shipments were headed in the opposite direction About 5,8 tonnes of packages arrived at Yurga from the border while only 51 kilogrammes were sent in return to which more than 5,5 tonnes were shipped sent less than ten kilogrammes to the border over the entire three months not a single package was shipped to the border This kind of cross-checking works even for major cities with over a million inhabitants Yekaterinburg received 6 tonnes from the border CDEK clients can use an online calculator that allows them to figure out the cost of delivery depending on the route The delivery of cargo with dimensions of 120x120x80 cm and weighing up to 200 kg from Mazyr to Rubtsovsk costs 12 325 rubles (about 190 US dollars) Opting for the "Parcelly" postage rate for small shipments weighing up to 12 kg (33x34x26 cm) from Mazyr to Rubtsovsk would cost 907 rubles (about 14 US dollars) The delivery of a shipment weighing 200 kg from Rylsk to Yurga costs 21,000 roubles (323 US dollars) Moscow and Yekaterinburg received the most shipments from border cities: 10,3 and 6 tonnes respectively In the lead among the "suspect" cities was Yurga a city in the north-west of Kemerovo region More than 5,5 tonnes were shipped from near-border towns to this place with a population of only 80,000 people The explanation is possibly obvious: three major military units are stationed in Yurga: the 106th Separate Logistics Brigade the 74th Separate Guards Motorised Rifle Brigade of the Order of Suvorov Zvenigorod-Berlin and the 120th Artillery Brigade at least 27 soldiers from Yurga have been killed in action The city of Chebarkul in Chelyabinsk region comes in second place in terms of total weight of shipments received we learnt of the death of Colonel Alexander Zakharov 27 servicemen from this city were killed in Ukraine A total of 114 suspect packages weighing more than 3,5 tonnes were sent to Kyzyl The 55th Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade is stationed in Kyzyl Mediazona confirmed the deaths of 11 servicemen from this city which was supposed to receive the most shipments (two-thirds of them failed to reach their destination) from Mazyr on the 1st and 2nd of April received relatively few parcels — 72 items weighing around two tonnes during the period of monitoring Below are the links between the towns sending goods and the cities receiving them Destinations are grouped by region and color-coded Press the Play button to see the timeline between February 24 and May 20 A click or tap will highlight the sender and the destination and show more data Many CDEK packing stations are monitored around the clock Having noted the unusual number of shipments from Valuiki Mediazona has been recording goings-on there since April 20 wrapped military rucksacks in clingfilm and left them at the front desk it wasn’t possible to identify what the soldiers were sending He was dragging a heavy box across the floor Two female employees went out to see what the soldiers had brought this time The officer opened the box: it contained a winged device that looked like Orlan After a short argument — as far as we can tell from their spirited gesticulation — the women left to register the shipment The drone was weighed and measured with a tape measure other customers were free to enter the office After five minutes of fiddling with the device Orlan-10 UAV is used by the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine for convoy support, target detection and fire control. On May 17, the Defence Ministry posted footage of a "strike variant" of this UAV with bombs on board The Pentagon estimates that the price of the drone Mediazona was not able to trace Orlan drone to its destination shipments heavier than 10 kilograms from Valuiki were sent to Bataisk No parcels with matching dimensions were visible in the footage from those branches Mediazona witnessed people in military uniform at the CDEK point in Valuiki shipping trainers You can see selected highlights in the video below CDEK has not yet responded to Mediazona's request for comment Translation: Lily Samarine and Sergey Golubev Mediazona is in a tough spot—we still haven’t recovered our pre-war level of donations If we don’t reach at least 5,000 monthly subscribers soon Nearly 105,000 deaths confirmed by April 25 and Artyom Krieger were accused of producing media content for ACF Antonina Favorskaya says she was transported in coffin‑sized compartments without seatbelts Telegram’s press office claims the channel’s owner likely deleted it due to “unauthorized access” lights across the country have dimmed By Daniel Wolfe Before Russian forces invaded Ukraine on February 24 nighttime satellite imagery captured the bright lights of Kyiv Now that same imagery shows a country that has gone dark steeling itself against a brutal and unprovoked military attack We compared the average nightly lightscape of Ukraine in January to February 25 and found a dramatic reduction in lights across the country This is what Ukraine looked like from space on a cloudless night in January The night lights from February 25 show a nation gone dark Payne Institute for Public Policy/NOAA JPSS VIIRS Part of this is strategic — in Lviv, authorities issued a city-wide lights out as a security measure against the full-scale invasion Comparing night illumination can also reveal where unusual ground activity is occurring. Satellite images from February 28 show new light sources directly west and north of Kyiv, which can likely be attributed to the 40 mile Russian military convoy that was assembling and preparing to approach the city light can play a critical role in military strategy “I think it’s crazy that the Russians have lights on,” said Jeffrey Lewis an arms control expert and professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies “The image is remarkable — it seems to suggest the Russian forces have very poor light discipline.” That may be due to a lack of equipment or lack of training at night Russia is secretly transporting its dead and wounded soldiers to Belarus to disguise the true number of casualties in Ukraine Eyewitnesses told RadioFreeEurope that the morgue in Mazyr is overflowing with corpses and that wounded Russian troops are flooding the area's hospitals One eyewitness told the outlet that he had seen many "black sacks" being loaded from military ambulances onto Russian railway cars "Passengers at the Mazyr train station were shocked by the number of corpses being loaded on the train," he told the outlet the military caught them and ordered them to remove it." More than 2,500 soldiers' corpses had been shipped from the Homel region in Belarus back to Russia by train or plane as of March 13 one employee of the regional hospital in the city of Homel told RFE/RL Insider could not independently verify this figure The Kremlin has been elusive about how many of its troops have been killed in Ukraine making the actual death toll difficult to confirm Russia acknowledged on March 2 that nearly 500 soldiers had been killed but has given no updates since US intelligence estimates that around 7,000 Russian troops have been killed in Ukraine so far, according to The New York Times Doctors and local residents claimed that hospitals in the cities of Mazyr and Homel are overflowing with wounded Russian soldiers officials began discharging patients from a local hospital in Homel to make room for Russian troops "There are so many wounded Russians there -- it's just a horror It is impossible to listen to their moans throughout the whole hospital," one resident who was treated in the Homel hospital told the outlet A doctor at Mazyr's main city hospital told RFE/RL that the site was guarded by police and security agencies and doctors were threatened with firing if they spoke about the situation The doctor said that all physicians at the hospital had been tasked with treating wounded Russian soldiers even those from more specialized professions Another doctor in Homel said there were fears of a medicine shortage particularly anti-tetanus drugs often used to treat soldiers with wounds from shrapnel and bullets This is reported by the Belarusian service of Radio Liberty the groupings of troops will be strengthened "to respond to any possible provocation." "Military units from the special operations forces including those with the Polyanez jet artillery systems and the Iskander systems were tasked with deploying in the designated areas We have also increased the anti-aircraft missile capabilities the decision was made in the wake of the alleged violation of the Belarusian airspace by drones from the territory of Ukraine which was first reported by Aleksandr Lukashenko the Air Force on combat duty detected "unidentified aerial objects moving from the territory of Ukraine" they were "classified as unmanned aerial vehicles" "We are closely monitoring the situation and are ready to respond to any changes," Viktor Khrenin said the air force and air fefense units of Belarus were put on high alert in connection with the violation of the airspace in the Kastyukovitsa area air defense forces allegedly destroyed several targets over the territory of Belarus and the rest were destroyed by Russian forces near Yaroslavl "The search for what has been destroyed continued throughout the night and into this morning We suspect these were attack drones," Lukashenko said at least nine Shahed kamikaze drones Russia regularly launches at Ukraine breached Belarus’s airspace While citing and using any materials on the Internet links to the website ukrinform.net not lower than the first paragraph are mandatory citing the translated materials of foreign media outlets is possible only if there is a link to the website ukrinform.net and the website of a foreign media outlet Materials marked as "Advertisement" or with a disclaimer reading "The material has been posted in accordance with Part 3 of Article 9 of the Law of Ukraine "On Advertising" No 1996 and the Law of Ukraine "On the Media" No 2023 and on the basis of an agreement/invoice Online media entity; Media identifier - R40-01421 (Contributor/Getty Images)Belarus and Russia ratified the Union State Security Pact expanding the nuclear umbrella and military integration Belarusian dictator Aleksandr Lukashenko invites U.S President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to Minsk for peace talks Belarus criminalizes sharing information on military movements and expands in absentia prosecution of exiled opponents Local media reported that a stray drone crashed into power lines in Belarus Belarus hits record low in the Freedom House report Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko have concluded the ratification of the Union State security guarantees expanding Russia’s nuclear umbrella over Belarus and deepening the military integration of the two countries The Union State security pact was signed on Dec stipulating that Russian nuclear weapons can be used against an aggressor state — even ones that don’t have nuclear weapons themselves Putin signed the law ratifying the agreement on Feb. 28, after speedy consideration in Russia’s State Duma in February. Belarus’s Lukashenko signed the ratification law on March 4 The pact will enter into force after the sides exchange ratification documents The security pact signing comes on the same day the Russian parliament ratified another agreement postponing Belarus’s repayment of about $800 million in Russian state loans formerly an official in the Belarusian foreign ministry “Lukashenko got himself into debt with Russia, and now he’s paying with the country’s national sovereignty,” Latushka said Beyond expanding the Russian “nuclear umbrella” to cover Belarus Article 5 of the agreement provides for the establishment of Russian military bases and stationing of Russian troops on the territory of Belarus “to prevent and repel acts of aggression.” the implementation of this provision would require a separate agreement between Minsk and Moscow Russia has been pushing to establish an air base in Belarus since 2015 The treaty also obliges the parties to “support” each other in the event of a threat to their constitutional orders — allowing each to potentially intervene to suppress public protests in either of the two countries The Union State security agreement lasts for ten years and is automatically extended unless one of the parties declares its intention to withdraw six months in advance According to NATO estimates, Belarus hosted up to 30,000 Russian troops in the buildup to the Russian attack on Kyiv in February-March 2022 in the pretense that they were taking part in the “Union Determination-2022” military drills Following Russian forces’ withdrawal from the northern front the number of Russian troops in Belarus gradually fell with just about 2,000 soldiers now being left according to the Belarusian Hajun monitoring project Belarus is to host up to 13,000 troops for the Zapad-2025 (West-2025) exercises The Russian-Belarusian plans to hold the exercises have sparked concern among Ukrainian officials Minsk is prepared to host the leaders of the United States and Russia for talks on ending Russia’s war against Ukraine Lukashenko’s remarks came shortly after the United States imposed an immediate freeze on military aid to Ukraine, in a move the White House claimed was meant to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into entering peace negotiations and said he was willing to help achieve his goal of brokering peace between Kyiv and Moscow “It’s only 200 kilometers from the Belarusian border to Kyiv – half an hour by plane,” Lukashenko told Nawfal along with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and Zelensky The Kremlin has already backed the proposal. “This issue has not been raised or discussed in any way. But, of course, Minsk is the best place for us. It is our main ally, so it is the best place for negotiations,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said In the early days of Russia’s all-out invasion negotiations between Ukraine and Russia were held in Belarus but were later moved to Istanbul Minsk has repeatedly attempted to get a seat at the negotiating table at the same time requiring “security guarantees” for itself Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhyi said “Belarusian officials have the right to claim a fair hearing in the process of bringing the aggressor and his accomplices to international legal responsibility for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.” Belarus previously hosted talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2014 and 2015, which led to the signing of the Minsk Agreements The agreements were meant to stop Russia’s war in eastern Ukraine, but both of the documents were ultimately violated by Russia. Two days before launching the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 Putin declared that the Minsk Agreements “no longer existed.” Lukashenko has been trying to make himself noticed by Trump rushing to congratulate him on winning the U.S presidential elections even before the results were confirmed and promising to nominate President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize Following the failure of the rare earth metals deal with Ukraine on Feb Lukashenko ordered his ministers to look into the issue of mining rare earth metals in Belarus Updates to the criminal code in Belarus have introduced prison sentences of up to three years for the “unauthorized sharing of information” about the deployment of military units and their movement within the country, Human Rights watchdog Viasna reported on Feb The changes to the code also broaden the category of offenses that can be subject to in absentia prosecution Since Russia unleashed its all-out invasion of Ukraine Belarusians have been reporting the movement of Russian troops and sharing footage and information on Russian troop locations with independent media and open-source intelligence projects Ninety-three Belarusians have been sentenced on “extremism” charges for doing so essentially outlaws sharing any form of content featuring the military in Belarus during wartime or counter-terrorist operations — unless the authorities have already shared such information Violations are punishable by up to three years of imprisonment The updated criminal code also introduces the new status of “a president who ceased to fulfill his duties” and criminalizes violence can be “re-elected” once more and rule until 2035 Although there are no apparent signs of an impending transition of power the Belarusian authorities have established an extra-governmental body — the All-Belarus People’s Assembly which is headed by Lukashenko — to which the dictator could “retire” after leaving the presidency while still wielding considerable influence A stray Russian attack drone crashed into high-voltage power grid lines at a thermal power plant on Feb causing the most significant damage by a drone in Belarus so far Russian drone incursions into the Belarusian airspace have risen sharply since July 2024 At least 395 drones were recorded flying over the country in the second half of the year and this year 94 were spotted in January alone The Belarusian authorities don’t comment on the incidents and never publicly objected to them with their ally – Moscow On the morning of Feb. 27, residents of Mazyr, Homiel Oblast, about 45 kilometers from the border with Ukraine, were cut off from heating and hot water supplies. Local state energy company Homielenergo attributed the problem to a breakdown in the rather old heat supply system Heating and hot water supplies were restored after a full day of repair work According to Flagshtok’s sources the drone crashed into the high-voltage lines of a thermal power plant triggering its automatic protection system which is located south of the Mazyr Oil Refinery — a strategic object reportedly protected by Belarusian air defenses Restarting the plant caused a fault in the piping system On the same night, another drone crashed and set fire to a farm building in Ziabrauka a village next to a military airfield in the Homiel Oblast Residents reported the sound of gunfire and a blast at around 4 a.m Belarus ranked 192-194th out of 207 countries and territories worldwide on the level of political and civil liberties according to global human rights watchdog Freedom House’s Freedom in the World report tracks the condition of political rights and civil liberties around the globe global freedom declined in 2024 for the 19th consecutive year and Belarus received some of the “worst aggregate scores” for political rights and civil liberties The country scored just seven points out of 100 sharing its position with Azerbaijan and Myanmar Hundreds of Belarus opposition supporters take part in a march in Warsaw, Poland on Jan. 25, 2025. (Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)The report also notes Minsk’s role in the indoctrination of Ukrainian children forcibly deported from the occupied territories According to the recent estimates by Belarusian opposition People’s Anti-Crisis Management initiative up to 3,500 Ukrainian children from Russia-occupied Ukrainian territories were transported to Belarus Belarus is also one of the most repressive countries for lawyers. Over the past four years, up to 27% of Belarusian lawyers were disbarred or lost their licenses after representing political prisoners in courts, U.S. government-funded broadcaster RFE/RL reported citing the International Observatory of Lawyers Maria Yeryoma is a Belarusian media manager and a contributing author at the Kyiv Independent She recently led the commercial "special projects" at TUT.BY — the biggest independent online media in the country leaving 15 employees in custody and forcing others to leave the country to continue their work Maria moved to Kyiv and helped establish a new media outlet the largest English-language newsletter about her native country Lithuania — As his daughters dozed off in the back seat had been plotting their escape from Belarus since 2020 when the Kremlin-backed regime cracked down on a popular uprising sending the country spiraling deeper into authoritarian rule and engulfing it in a climate of fear When Russia launched its assault on Ukraine from Belarus’ southern doorstep His family watched from the windows of their apartment block as helicopters and missiles thundered through the sky Andrei — whose name has been changed for his safety — said he found himself being forced to treat Russian soldiers injured in Moscow’s botched assault on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv he was jailed on trumped-up corruption charges Andrei asked one of their neighbors to sneak the family’s suitcases out of their building and stash them in a car after he had finished his shift at the hospital they met in a parking lot without any security cameras to pick up their bags It had taken Andrei months to chart out the best route — asking for advice over encrypted messaging apps from a Belarusian medical solidarity group activist organizations and others living in exile more than 370 miles north to the country’s border with Lithuania … … finally reaching the point where he had been told he could cross dirt road and Andrei kissed his wife and girls goodbye they would cross through the official border checkpoint and reunite with him in Lithuania Andrei had hidden a USB flash drive carrying evidence of what he had witnessed — dozens of X-rays of wounded Russian soldiers As Andrei made his way through tangled undergrowth he came across a Belarusian border police booth and felt a sense of terror — he knew his name was on a government list of people banned from leaving the country and a heavy-set Lithuanian man stood holding a fishing pole he said it was the first time he’d seen someone fleeing “Is it really so bad in Belarus?” the man asked thinking back over all that Belarusians had endured at the hands of his country’s brutal regime and now the bloody war they had been drawn into Russia erected temporary camps and hospitals in Belarus’ frozen fields helicopters and fighter jets near the border When Putin declared his “special military operation” in a pre-dawn televised address on February 24 paratroopers and a huge armored column of soldiers rolling south from Belarusian soil setting in motion what was intended to be a lightning strike to decapitate the government in Kyiv But as Russia’s advance stalled and setbacks mounted Moscow began to spirit wounded soldiers back across the border to Belarus for treatment in several civilian hospitals The doctors working there were drafted into a war that they didn’t sign up for unwittingly enlisted as quasi-combat medics and obliged by their hippocratic oath to provide life-saving care Their testimonies and documentation — including medical records — offer insights into the Belarusian government’s complicity in the Ukraine war as fears mount that the country might be sucked further into the fight In spite of the repressive environment, hints of Moscow’s troop losses have emerged on social media and local reports. In late February, the Belarusian Hajun project an activist monitoring group that tracks military activity in the country started sharing images on Telegram of Russian medical vehicles ferrying fighters across the border from the frontline Drawing on a network of trusted local sources Soviet-era “PAZ” buses marked with red crosses and a white letter “V” — a symbol believed to stand for "Vostok" or east — and armored ambulances in Gomel region It appeared some were being taken to field hospitals which had popped up near Belarus’ border with Ukraine at VD Bolshoy Bokov AirfieldMaxar Technologies identified a deployment of dozens of military vehicles set up at an old Belarusian aerodrome near Mazyr.Source: Maxar Technologies in NarouliaAnother field hospital — a larger grouping of beige tents — was detected in the town of Naroulia closer to the Ukrainian border.Source: Maxar Technologies Other medical vehicles were spotted near hospitals in the cities of Gomel and Mazyr near Mazyr City HospitalA photo shared on the eve of the invasion captured an armored ambulance outside Mazyr City Hospital.Source: Belarusian Hajun project/Telegram a column of several medical “PAZ” buses were filmed driving on a local road.Note: This video has been sped up at Mazyr Railway StationOne video showed men in fatigues outside Mazyr’s main railway station appearing to carry wounded soldiers onto a train marked with the red RZD logo of the Russian state-owned operator Russian Railways.Source: Mozyr For Life/Instagram "We can confirm they (Russians) used Belarusian infrastructure including medical buildings and field hospitals and they used train stations or airbases to transport dead people or injured people a Belarusian blogger who fled Minsk in 2020 and founded Belarusian Hajun project Motolko said his sources told him that morgues in the area were overflowing and that a steady stream of wounded soldiers had arrived at Mazyr City Hospital Andrei watched in horror as his hometown of Mazyr seemingly turned into a sprawling military base — armored tanks rolled down the streets Russian soldiers roamed local shops and got drunk at bars downtown Soon they began to suspect that Russia was preparing for war As the military drills were due to wrap up on February 20 Andrei said his hospital administration extended a directive to treat Russian soldiers free of charge until March 10 "They must have thought the war would end by then,” Andrei said Russian officers from the field hospital outside Mazyr cleaned out the city’s blood bank reserves Andrei recalled a hospital official gathering all of the doctors into a meeting room ordering them to keep 250 beds free for Russian casualties stop all planned surgeries and send what Belarusian patients they could home “Then they warned us that we were not allowed to share any information about Russian soldiers “They told us that we were being watched by the Russian Federal Security Services (FSB) that they had ways of monitoring our phones.” While he didn’t see any Russian FSB Andrei said he did notice local Belarusian State Security Committee (KGB) agents stalking the halls of the hospital Mazyr City Hospital did not respond to CNN’s request for comment “They warned us that we were not allowed to share any information about Russian soldiers an organization set up by ex-Belarusian police and security service members told CNN that Mazyr authorities went to great lengths to keep information about the number of wounded Russian soldiers Azarau said that the KGB departments for Mazyr along with the region’s department of internal affairs put Mazyr City Hospital “under round-the-clock surveillance” while ”warning the staff of personal responsibility for disclosing information about military personnel undergoing treatment in the hospital.” Andrei managed to secretly photocopy the X-rays of dozens of troops treated at Mazyr City Hospital could have gotten me into legal trouble for espionage,” he said adding that he had taken the risk to provide evidence of a side of the war that has so far gone unseen smuggling them out of Belarus in his daughter’s toy cellphone The scans included the names and ages of the soldiers many of whom were between 19 and 21 years old capturing their injuries in stark black and white Andrei said he saw the biggest wave of casualties arrive at Mazyr hospital en masse in the early hours of February 28 After receiving a call that the soldiers were incoming the doctors assembled at the entrance to the emergency room around midnight busloads of injured troops began to pour in Russian soldiers carted them inside on stretchers The doctors quickly assessed the soldiers’ injuries drawing numbers on their foreheads to mark them by priority triaging their wounds and sending them off for scans or surgeries more than 100 Russian troops arrived with injuries to the face compound fractures from explosions and coming under fire a local state-run TV channel released a report claiming the hospital was running normally which Andrei said he saw as an attempt to stymie rumors that it was treating Russian troops others required amputations — having arrived with gangrenous Several had been wearing tourniquets for days to staunch the blood their bodies peppered with bullets and shrapnel than we had operating tables,” Andrei said “The Russians just gave us their injured [soldiers] where they told him their helicopter came under attack I am not really allowed to feel disgusted,” he said who suffered a severe abdominal injury in Chernobyl But the majority of the injured were young inexperienced soldiers and conscripts from remote parts of Russia Russia’s Ministry of Defense did not respond to CNN’s request for comment on these allegations or accusations it has co-opted Belarus to carry out an “act of aggression” against Ukraine On March 1, at a meeting of Belarus’ Security Council, Lukashenko acknowledged that hospitals were providing Russian soldiers with life-saving treatment “We treat them and will continue treating these guys – in Gomel and I think in some other district capital when they are transported to us Injured people have always received medical treatment during any war,” he said before dismissing reports that Russia had suffered huge losses as fake news “Our self-exiled opposition and the rest shout about thousands of injured [Russian military personnel] delivered to Gomel We've treated about 160-170 injured in this entire period,” Lukashenko added But Andrei and other medical professionals in the region tell a different story 40 to 50 Russian casualties were brought to Mazyr City Hospital every day shuttled in and out again like a “conveyor belt,” Andrei said in green Russian military buses and ambulances thought that maybe they were worried about security so they brought them under the cover of the night They were afraid of road traffic to see the red cross on their vehicles The Russians also tried to bring the dead to the hospital adding: “They didn’t know what to do with them.” detail how Belarus provided key infrastructure to Russia told CNN that Russians were using hospitals in both the Gomel and Brest regions between the start of the war and April but that there were also “many cases when doctors refused to take Russian soldiers,” describing this as grassroots resistance He added that Russians have not been using infrastructure like hospitals in Belarus since April Mazyr was one of at least three hospitals in Gomel region that treated Russian casualties who estimated that the facilities collectively cared for hundreds of soldiers a doctor who left the region and whose name has also been changed for his safety said that the Regional Clinical Hospital and the Republican Research Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology were among those providing treatment but that the latter was largely operating with Russian medical staff brought in for the war After receiving a patient transferred from the Republican Research Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology Mikalai said that he had been curious about how the hospital was operating military medical buses coming to the hospital … green-colored ‘PAZ’ vehicles with their windows covered with white cloth,” he said said that the Republican Research Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology was used to treat Russian servicemen who took part in the assault on the Chernobyl nuclear power plant some of whom showed signs of radiation poisoning The hospital was originally built in the early 1990s to provide specialized medical care to the local population affected by the Chernobyl disaster Mikalai said it was no surprise that the Belarusian and Russian authorities went to great lengths to keep the reality of what was happening behind closed doors in these hospitals a secret “A great number of wounded young soldiers is a dirty dirty stain that does not correlate with the idea of this great Russian invasion,” he said adding that the authorities wanted to give the impression that the situation was under control and reports of a huge number of casualties were fake “But this is the bad truth … they tried to hide it.” Tsikhanouskaya said that the testimonies from Belarusian doctors were “important evidence” of Lukashenko’s “crimes and complicity in the war,” and called on Russian troops to withdraw from Belarus “This is proof that the regime participated in and facilitated Russian aggression But this is also a testament to the courage of those Belarusian doctors recorded the truth so that Belarusians and the world would learn what Putin and Lukashenko are actually doing in Ukraine,” she said in a statement adding that the Lukashenko regime’s participation in Putin’s war “must not doom the Belarusian people to the role of pariah.” Unpicking the role that Belarus has played in the Ukraine war has taken on new urgency since Lukashenko announced in October that Russian soldiers would deploy to the country to form a new, “regional grouping” and carry out joint exercises with Belarusian troops, raising fears that he might draw the country more directly into the conflict “The fact is that Belarus long ago ceded its sovereignty in significant ways to Russia,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a briefing on October 12 responding to a question about Belarus’ posturing which the United States is monitoring closely “The fact that President Putin has been able to use what should be sovereign Belarusian territory as a staging ground the fact that brutal attacks against the people of Ukraine have emanated from a sovereign third country it is another testament to the fact that the Lukashenko regime does not have the best interests of its people at heart.” “As far as our participation in the special military operation in Ukraine is concerned But we are not killing anyone,” Lukashenko said in early October We've treated people if necessary,” he added many in Belarus are terrified that might change A majority of Belarusians do not want their country to take part in the war according to a recent Chatham House poll conducted online which found that only 5% favored sending troops to support Russia a Belarusian human rights activist and founder of BySol an initiative that supports victims of political persecution in Belarus who himself faces politically motivated charges for “funding extremist formations,” said that the organization saw a surge in requests for help when the invasion started The group set up a Telegram channel with advice on how to flee abroad for people who don’t support the war or were afraid of being mobilized themselves “We took more than 10,000 consultations … and now we have a Telegram channel with 30,000 subscribers,” Stryzhak said adding: “It’s very intensive work for us.” Andrei was arrested alongside dozens of other Belarusian doctors on charges of corruption and receiving bribes After being jailed in the Belarusian capital Minsk for a month and a half Andrei said he got the sense that their detention may have been an intimidation tactic — to make them think twice before leaving the country he said he was contacted by his local military branch and told to enlist in the army “I was asked to come to the military enlistment office with my documents … Of course Now settled in another European country with his family Andrei is relieved to no longer be wondering when or if he might be sent to war he’s focused on sitting national medical exams so he can start to practice again in his new home I was worried about my close friends and family living there,” he said adding that Belarus’ complicity in the war was unbearable “We wrote to each other ‘Slava Ukraini,’ saying that Ukraine was going to win My relatives said that we would all outlive all of this And yet the bombs were being launched at them from the territory where I lived.” Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for the sixth time this year taunting the world with the threat of nuclear proliferation Russia resumed launching missiles into Ukraine from Belarusian territory likely in an attempt to drag Belarus into directly joining Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine The increasing risk of direct involvement by Belarus prompted President Volodymyr Zelensky to issue a statement to the Belarusian people the regard for human rights in Belarus is deteriorating further Human rights watchdog Viasna published a report alleging the torture of detainees in detention facilities across the country In another example of the arbitrary use of the legal system in Belarus a high-ranking official in Belarus’ Ministry of Internal Affairs Charges have been brought against the teenager Bureaucratic hurdles in Ukraine are forcing many Belarusians seeking refuge from their country to leave or face deportation to Belarus where they may potentially face politically-motivated persecution Russia resumes missile attacks on Ukraine from Belarus Russian airstrikes were conducted from Belarusian territory this week for the first time since April six Russian Tu-22M3 long-range bombers took off from Shaikova airport in Kaluga Oblast and fired 12 Kh-22 cruise missiles near Mazyr a southeastern Belarusian town just 60 kilometers north of the Ukrainian border According to Ukrainian authorities Ukrainian intelligence notes that the shelling from Belarus may be an “attempt by the Kremlin to draw Belarus into the war with Ukraine According to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry’s Intelligence Directorate Russia has allegedly sent mercenaries to conduct attacks on residential buildings and civilian infrastructure in Mazyr which they may falsely attribute to Ukraine On June 17, a week prior to the allegations made by Ukraine’s intelligence, Lukashenko said in a speech that Belarus will conduct airstrikes on Kyiv should the Ukrainian army shell the Mazyr Oil Refinery Belarusian monitoring group Belaruski Hayun says it has not observed such preparations and that there has not been any indication in local media of the withdrawal of the local military from Mazyr Lukashenko meet to discuss nuclear armament At a meeting between Putin and Lukashenko on June 25 in Saint Petersburg the Belarusian dictator expressed concern about the training exercises undertaken by U.S Putin pledged to deliver Iskander nuclear-capable short-range ballistic missile systems to Belarus in the coming months as well as to provide Sukhoi Su-25 aircraft able to carry nuclear weapons Kremlin spokesperson Vladimir Peskov later downplayed this statement saying that Russia has not promised to provide Belarus with a nuclear arsenal just carriers capable of holding conventional and nuclear missiles Meetings between Putin and Lukashenko in 2022 have occurred monthly. Lukashenko left suddenly for Russia for informal talks on June 23 despite the next forum planned for June 30 in Hrodna a Belarus regional capital on the Polish border Belarusian political analyst and historian Valer Karbalevich suggests that the sudden meeting and discussion of nuclear capabilities is likely a response to Lithuania’s decision to block the transit of a large number of goods by rail to and from Russia’s Kaliningrad Oblast exclave Putin is attempting to raise the stakes for European politicians supporting Ukraine as well as to pull Belarus to directly participate in Russia’s war He argues that the active participation of Belarus would be critical for success in the case of a Russian offensive in the Suwalki Gap – the 100-kilometer strip at the Poland-Lithuania border Konrad Muzyka, the president of military consulting group Rochan Consulting, suggests that the potential delivery of Iskanders to Belarus is not a new development as they were already operated by Russian troops on Belarusian territory he adds that in order to store Iskanders capable of bearing nuclear load Belarus must first develop suitable storage facilities Ukraine’s Defense Ministry stated on June 23 that Belarus is fixing military equipment to eventually transfer it to Russian forces at the frontlines According to the Deputy Chief of Ukraine’s General Staff Oleksiy Hromov new military infrastructure is observed at Zyabrovka air base near Homiel Ukraine’s intelligence also stated on June 26 that the Kremlin plans to increase the number of Russian military aircraft in the region as well as to conduct joint airspace patrols On June 27, Ukraine’s General Staff reported that airstrikes and missile attacks from Belarus are expected to continue noting that Ukraine is closely observing the movements of Belarus’ military Belarusian military drills simulate oil depot bombing As of June 27, Belarus’ military has conducted military drills simulating the bombing of an oil depot with drones and the transportation of hazardous radioactive substances Under the supervision of Belarus’ Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the drills will supplement those that started on June 24 and engage the newly-established territorial defense units President Zelensky urges Belarusians to resist war Amid the increase of Russian missile attacks from Belarus, President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the people of Belarus on June 26 saying that the risk of their country being dragged into the war is greater than ever “The Kremlin has already decided everything for you “You can’t let anyone decide what awaits you next.” Read More: Discontent grows between Kyiv, Belarus opposition as Russia drags Belarus further into war On June 28, Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya issued a response to Zelensky’s address in which she emphasized that both Ukrainians and Belarusians understand the role Lukashenko plays in Russia’s war against Ukraine Tsikhanouskaya also highlighted the existence of Belarusian movements in support of Ukraine and that animosity between the Belarusian and Ukrainian peoples will only serve to advance the Kremlin’s goals Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addresses President Volodymyr Zelensky on June 28 Human rights watchdog reports torture in almost every detention facility in Belarus Belarusian human rights watchdog Viasna published three reports on June 24 focused on politically-motivated criminal prosecutions politically-motivated administrative processes According to Pavel Sapelka the three reports are united by one theme: torture and inhumane treatment as an “integral feature” of detention facilities in Belarus Viasna recognizes 1,214 individuals as political prisoners in Belarus The watchdog also has data on over 2,900 individuals that have been prosecuted since the 2020 Belarusian presidential election every person detained in Belarus underwent some form of torture or mistreatment Top Belarusian official shoots teenager in dispute the chief of one of the Belarusian Interior Ministry’s departments engaged in a dispute with several teenagers Parshin asked them to leave the building’s premises, to which one of the teenagers, Yauhen, 16, responded by saying that they were “free to choose a bench.” Parshin reportedly pushed Yauhen and According to Belarus’ Interior Ministry, Parshin had been on vacation on the day of the altercation BYPOL, an association of exiled former Belarusian law enforcement officials, says that carrying a gun off-duty is not permitted although there may have been undisclosed permission granted The group also maintains that Belarusian law demands that the use of a firearm be the last resort preceded by proper warnings as well as not occur in public spaces with minors present Witnesses maintain that no warnings were issued, the group consisted of minors, and Parshin likely initiated the altercation. Following the incident, Yauhen was hospitalized and is now facing criminal charges for “hooliganism.” Parshin is the former chief of Belarus’ General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption infamous for politically motivated detentions Belarusian human rights activist detained in Kyiv amid ongoing hurdles for Belarusians in Ukraine Anisia Kazliuk, a Belarusian human rights activist, Forbes 30 Under 30 nominee, and volunteer in Ukraine, was detained in Kyiv on June 24 for residing in Ukraine over her legal stay she reportedly received an extension for her stay in Ukraine and was about to file for a residence permit since the start of Russia’s full-scale war Ukraine has terminated the issuing of residence permits Kazliuk would have faced potential political persecution in Belarus With the assistance of activists and Sviatlana Tikhanouskaya's office in Ukraine she managed to avoid deportation back to Belarus In 2021 alone, Ukraine issued 4,300 residence permits to Belarusians many of whom fled the country to avoid persecution or to help Ukraine defend itself from Russian aggression the possibility for them to extend their legal stay in Ukraine is shrinking While Ukraine’s migration department announced the resumption of residence services in May many Belarusian nationals have been refused renewals Ukrainian authorities have reportedly requested that they “prove their intent is not to harm Ukraine,” despite there being no legal requirements for the provision of such documents According to Palina Brodik the coordinator of the Kyiv-based human rights group Free Belarus Center there is no clear system for the processing of residence permits for Belarusian nationals while sometimes a letter vouching for an individual from a Ukrainian volunteer organization is sufficient other times an entire stack of documents is deemed insufficient Ukraine’s migration department reportedly suggests that Belarusians leave and re-enter Ukraine to refresh the number of days they are permitted to reside in Ukraine Ukraine’s Border Guard Service warns that Belarusians will not be allowed back in the country your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics Dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries Deep dive conversations with business leaders Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society Europe's water is under increasing pressure floods are taking their toll on our drinking water Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters and to discover some of the best water solutions an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt Focus on the victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster whose 30-year anniversary is being marked this week Yet the catastrophe had a major impact upon neighbouring Belarus held at the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilisations in Paris and in the days after the reactor’s explosion a southerly wind pushed around 70 percent of the radioactive cloud spread over Belarus 23 percent of Belarus’ territory was contaminated compared to 4.8 percent in Ukraine and 0.5 percent in Russia The most-affected region is Polesia which suffered the same level of radiation as the Ukrainian side have similar amounts of Caesium-137 contamination Belarus is affected at different levels but being a “soft” dictatorship it is very complicated to manage the contamination Over the last decade President Alexander Lukashenko has been conducing a massive campaign to minimise the effects of radiation There is no medical records of disease and no state help for the population the Belorussian side have created the so-called Polesky State Radioecological Reserve it is an off limits area devoted to the study of a contaminated habitat the contamination by Plutonium 239 (very high in the city of Prip’jat’) has a half-life of 24,100 years: it means that radiation levels will be halved in 24,100 years Belarus is a developing economy positioned in Eastern Europe It is a landlocked country bordering Russia The Republican Transport Unitary Enterprise also known as the Belarusian River Shipping Company is responsible for shipping goods to and from the country 99 barge platforms with a 900-tonne capacity and 7 passenger vessels Cruise trips and shore excursions along the Mukhavets and Sozh rivers are also organised by the company for attracting tourism Navigable rivers flowing throughout the region are used for transporting bulk and project cargoes from Belarus to the Baltic Sea port of Klaipeda Oil and gasoline are shipped from the Ust-Luga port The Pripet and Dnieper rivers directly connect some Belarusian ports to the major Black seaports more than 1.5 million tonnes of cargo and 74,500 passengers were handled by the company Major exports included construction materials like sand and stone The busiest ports were Gomel which dealt with 399,000 tonnes of cargo and Pinsk let us have a look at the ports of Belarus Brest is an important commercial and transportation centre situated in the southwestern part of Belarus It serves as the capital of the region and is one of the biggest towns It is a border town with rail connections to Moscow and other Polish cities The topography is characterised by lowlands and marshes North of the town is the Bialowieza Reserve overlooking the rugged mountains The river port lies at the confluence of the Western Bug and Mukhavets River handling passenger boats and small cargo vessels Port equipment is limited to two quay cranes and three forklifts Brest is connected to the Port of Klaipeda which acts as a transit port for Belarus Brest was an important inland waterway during the mediaeval period It shipped timber and corn to many European nations it went to the Germans during the Second World War Brest is a famous historic town with several anthropological museums manufacturing mechanical parts of household appliances Minsk is a modern city with a strong industrial and manufacturing sector Minsk port is situated on Svislach and Niamiha one of the crucial navigable waterways of the country These rivers were formed by the melting of glaciers during the last ice age Five smaller streams flow through the city Minsk serves as the administrative seat of the region and has a population of more than 2.1 million people It is also the financial centre of Belarus housing over 300 manufacturing plants and several multinational companies producing a wide variety of products Industrial growth began in the mid-1850s with the introduction of railways Though much public infrastructure was laid waste in the Second World War it is a major producer of transport vehicles like trollies traditional printing and food packaging are other vital industries The end products are shipped from Minsk on barges and shipped all over the world via the ports of Russia and Ukraine The port of Minsk can accommodate bulkers and general cargo vessels with draft restrictions A large storage area covering 7000 m2 and ten warehouses are located at some distance from the port premises for storing cargo The latest port equipment allows smooth loading and unloading of cargo Close to the facility is a truck parking area and a cafeteria The northern and southern edges of Minsk are lined with forests some of which were labelled as protected ecoregions by the government one of the largest artificial reservoirs in Belarus The Russians built a rudimentary port on the left bank of the Svislach river for receiving military supplies and food items It was the most affected during the Russian Revolution and witnessed labour unions’ protests many soviet-era constructions were converted into government offices Decentralisation and privatisation led to improvements in transportation and communication The Grodno Oblast lies on the western border of Belarus It is an industrial region traversed by the river Neman A free economic zone was built in 2002 called Grodnoinvest covering 4157 hectares for attracting foreign investments and businesses Special economic incentives are given to the residents of the zone which reduce investment costs by 35 to 40 per cent It was established for promoting the socio-economic growth of the region by manufacturing products for export and providing an array of services to the clients Member companies and individual entrepreneurs can take plots of land on lease for developing their offices The FEZ has 75 registered residents and over 19,100 staff members who oversee the implementation of the rules and regulations The industrial area has been operating for 14 years and has played a pivotal role in the economic progress of the oblast manufacturing and food processing companies are members of the FEZ Approximately 76 firms involved in furniture making machine construction and light industries are part of the region they make up 30% of the region’s production and contribute 45% to the export sector Many innovative projects are implemented and businesses from more than 40 countries have invested in the same The success of the FEZ can be attributed to many factors the first being its strategic geographical location It is linked to neighbouring countries through the eastern and western railway networks and highways The region has five international airports and is close to four major seaports including Kaliningrad a consumer market of 185 million people is directly accessible from the FEZ which enables the industrial zone to transport goods and provide services readily the authorities help in the registration process so industries can start their operations within a week of joining the industrial zone The city of Mazyr lies on the northern banks of the Pripet one of the most important Eastern European rivers especially famous for oil refineries and the production of machinery Mazyr has the biggest oil refineries in Belarus starting from the station and terminating at the Mazyr refinery Many workers migrate to the city which has increased the population by 1.5 million in the past few years making it the second-most populous region of Belarus The inland port was established in 1963 and is a major transhipment hub It is also linked to the nation’s railway network a dry-cargo ship platform with a capacity of 710 tonnes The city had seven synagogues in the 19th century however all of them were destroyed by the Germans during the Second World War All the Jews were executed in the local ghetto the destruction impacted the economy of Mazyr and almost all infrastructure was rebuilt by the government The river port is situated in the eastern part of Belarus The Bobruisk port was established in 1970 and lies on the river Berezina It is a major facility for handling bulk cargo The largest wood processing plant in the country is situated in the city along with many chemical and metal production factories Port equipment consists of 3 towing vessels The city lies in southwestern Belarus on the right bank of river Sozh a port was established for handling break bulk including raw materials for industries the site of one of the worst nuclear accidents in the world the authorities established numerous hospitals and sports facilities The port of Gomel is accessible via railways and includes 500 m of mooring facilities 7 towing ships and three cranes with a 10-tonne lifting capacity Ships are repaired and refurbished at the Gomel Shipbuilding and Repair yard city centre and the newly constructed football stadium It is also a famous tourist place having many themed parks Several prestigious education institutes are located in the city A port was established eight-kilometre upstream on the Pina river in 1939 for serving the city and its immediate hinterland the facility packages and deals with foodstuff It has a 350 m berthing space and possesses three portal cranes Disclaimer : The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only While we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct we make no representations or warranties of any kind suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of Do you have info to share with us ? Suggest a correction possessing immaculate research and editing skills she loves books a little more than anything else Signup today and get maritime ebooks submitted to your inbox directly.  © 2010 - 2025 Marine Insight — All Rights Reserved We respect your privacy and take protecting it very seriously (Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)Belarus rejects President Volodymyr Zelensky’s claim that dictator Aleksandr Lukashenko apologized for Belarus’s role in Russia’s war blames external forces for dragging Belarus into conflict Belarus shows opposition leader Viktar Babaryka for the first time after nearly two years of incommunicado detention Poland to complete border wall with Belarus by mid-2025 in response to the artificial migration crisis Lukashenko releases 20 political prisoners in eighth round of pre-election pardons amid raging repression Belarus enacts a decree to allow dissidents’ children to be classified as “in danger,” leading to them being taken away Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko has dismissed a recent claim by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Lukashenko had apologized for Minsk’s involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine and doubled down on blaming external forces for dragging Belarus into the war President Zelensky said in an interview on Jan 5 that Lukashenko had apologized to him for Minsk’s involvement in the war days after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 and offered the Mazyr refinery in Belarus as a target for a retaliatory strike Lukashenko’s press officer Natallia Eismont in response denied the claim Lukashenko followed up on the issue on Jan making derogatory remarks about Zelensky and blaming unspecified external powers for dragging Belarus Russia’s co-belligerent in the aggression against Ukraine He’s been given a command: You have to do everything possible to drag the country (Belarus) into the war,” Lukashenko said in his address on Orthodox Christmas He said Belarus remains an “island of peace” amidst regional turmoil The Belarusian dictator also commented on Zelensky’s New Year’s address which referenced Belarus’s opposition slogan “Long Live Belarus.” “Let them say that we have a dictatorship here or whatever,” Lukashenko said “Look; it’s better to have a dictatorship like in Belarus than a democracy like in Ukraine.” In the interview with Russian-born U.S. podcaster Lex Fridman, Zelensky said that Lukashenko called him in the early days of the all-out invasion apologizing for the invasion and shifting the blame to Russian President Vladimir Putin He also said that Lukashenko proposed that Kyiv strike the Mazyr oil refinery While Lukashenko’s press office said the call was made due to the “emotional reaction” of Lukashenko’s son Nikolai no comments were made regarding the other claims the Russian army was allowed to use Belarusian territory as a jumping off point for its operations against Ukraine Belarus has also participated in the abduction of Ukrainian children. Lukashenko’s promise to maintain a “peaceful sky” over Belarus has also been broken with swarms of Russian drones violating Belarus’s airspace in recent months — at least 390 Russian combat drone incursions have been reported in Belarus since July 2024 Lukashenko’s rhetoric has softened in recent months President-elect Donald Trump’s stating his goal of negotiating an end to the war Whereas in the early days of the all-out invasion Lukashenko supported Russia alleged that Ukraine was threatening Belarus and admitted his status of a “co-aggressor,” in late 2024 Lukashenko and his officials asserted Belarus had a claim to a seat at any peace talks Belarus remains increasingly isolated from the West and reliant on the Kremlin following the fraudulent 2020 presidential elections in Belarus and Lukashenko’s subsequent crackdown on dissent Pictures and video of prominent Belarusian opposition figure Viktar Babaryka one of the challengers of Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko in the presidential election of 2020 They were the first images of the politician seen in nearly two years isolated from communication with the outside world was arrested in 2020 and sentenced to 14 years in prison over alleged tax evasion and money laundering Human rights advocates dismissed the charges as politically motivated and said they were intended to knock Babaryka out of the presidential race The photos and video were published by former opposition blogger Raman Pratasievich who was captured by Minsk after it forced the landing of a commercial flight he was on in 2021 Pratasievich has since become a propagandist for the Lukashenko regime According to Pratasievich, the footage was filmed in Navapolatsk penal colony in the country’s north — rumored in numerous testimonies to be one of Belarus’s harshest prisons wearing black prison clothes with the yellow tag used to mark political prisoners he sends greetings and best wishes to his family The opposition figure has reportedly now received letters from his family and has written responses He had been deprived of communication with his family and lawyers for over 630 days Belarusian democratic leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said she was relieved to see the images and called for an end to the practice of holding political prisoners incommunicado “Now, we must demand to see all others who remain hidden, and this cruel, inhumane practice must end,” Tsikhanouskaya wrote on X In November 2024, Lukashenko allowed a family visit to another prominent political figure — Maria Kalesnikava who directed Babaryka’s presidential campaign in 2020 and who was later sentenced to 11 years in prison Kalesnikava was also held incommunicado for over 600 days Her family was concerned for her health after she was admitted to intensive care in November 2022 The situation with political prisoners in Belarus remains dire: While the Lukashenko regime has been releasing some political prisoners in small batches in recent months such as former presidential candidates and their teams Eight other high-profile political prisoners such as former presidential candidate Siarhei Tsikhanouskiy and Babaryka’s election team attorney Maksim Znak Poland will spend over 2.5 billion zloty or around $611 million to complete its fortified border wall with Belarus by next summer Polish Deputy Interior Minister Maciej Duszczyk told UK newspaper the Financial Times on Dec Poland has long accused Russia and Belarus of weaponizing illegal migrants who have been attempting to cross the Polish border into the European Union from Belarus in what is viewed in Poland as “hybrid warfare” against the bloc The latest artificial crisis launched by the Lukashenko regime in 2021 was reignited by the flow of migrants with Russian visas The existing 180-kilometer (roughly 112 miles) fence on the Polish-Belarusian border will be extended to 400 kilometers (250 miles) and equipped with night-vision cameras The border reinforcement is set for completion next summer, bringing the border security “as close to 100% as possible,” Duszczyk said The deputy interior minister noted that the Lukashenko regime might still attempt to sabotage Poland’s infrastructure Speaking at an Orthodox Christmas celebration on Jan Lukashenko admitted there was a flow of migrants traveling through Belarus to Europe but denied his government’s involvement in it “I’ve always been honest about it,” Lukashenko has stated Especially not those who introduce economic sanctions against us.” has also become “a challenge” for Belarus domestically the EU states bordering Belarus — Lithuania and Poland — began constructing physical barriers on their borders the EU pledged 170 million euros to support this effort The easternmost EU states thwarted over 36,000 illegal border-crossing attempts in 2024 according to the border controls’ aggregate The cross-border crisis reportedly took 59 lives between January and October 2024 Belarus and Poland now have only one checkpoint in operation after one was closed at the start of the migration crisis in 2021 and another was shut down in response to the jailing of Polish-Belarusian activist Andrzej Poczobut in February 2023 over 2,400 passenger cars and 90 buses were waiting at the border on the Belarusian side The estimated wait time for them exceeds six days at the current rate Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko has “pardoned” 20 more prisoners “convicted of extremist crimes,” his press office reported on Dec At least 227 political prisoners have been released over the last year after receiving pardons, while the Lukashenko regime continued jailing more political opponents. According to the Viasna Human Rights Center, at least 1,721 individuals were tried on politically motivated charges in 2024 The eighth round of pre-election pardons included eleven women and nine men Fourteen of those released reportedly have chronic diseases Lukashenko’s press office claims the former prisoners have repented but would remain under surveillance by the interior ministry Currently, over 1,250 political prisoners remain behind bars in Belarus. Most were jailed after the rigged 2020 presidential elections, which Lukashenko claimed he had won. Meanwhile, in the run-up to the voting on Jan. 26 — the first presidential race since nationwide unrest in 2020 — Lukashenko unleashed an intimidation campaign against his opponents The Belarusian government has adopted a decree allowing dissidents’ children to be classified as “in danger” if their parents are accused of spreading “extremist” materials The practice of using children as leverage against political opponents of Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko is not new in Belarus: Following the 2010 protests, authorities attempted to remove the three-year-old son of then-presidential candidate Andrei Sannikau and journalist Iryna Khalip according to Information Minister Marat Markov “The regime is threatening to take children away from parents labeled as opponents of the dictator. This is the height of cruelty – making children suffer because their parents dare to want freedom,” Tsikhanouskaya wrote on X Belarusian Human Rights Center Viasna reported 5,890 administrative trials in Belarus last year with many involving charges of distributing extremist materials The human rights activists note that the exact number of cases is hard to establish due to the authorities’ attempts to disrupt the reporting of human rights abuses Political prisoner Yalena Maushuk was sentenced to six years in prison and stripped of her parental rights, while activist Yalena Lazarchyk’s child was sent to a shelter directly from school after Maushuk was detained in 2020 In most cases, relatives have been able to assume custody of the children, but the use of this repressive tactic continues By 2024-07-05T05:00:00 RUSSIA: The BKM-Siberia joint venture of Belarussian manufacturer Belkommunmash and the city of Novosibirsk unveiled its first rebodied partially low-floor Type T701 tram at the Siberian Transport Forum trade fair which was held in the city during June Already have an account? LOG IN You’ve reached your limit of content for the month Register for free now By 2023-09-06T11:00:00 RUSSIA: Belarusian manufacturer BKM has delivered the first three of 12 T811 trams for use in the city of Samara By 2022-08-01T05:00:00 KAZAKHSTAN: Sole bidder BKM Holding of Belarus has been awarded a contract to supply trams to Öskemen In recent years, the Belarusian leadership has been attempting to create a positive image of the country to attract foreign visitors. So far, Belarus seems to appeal mostly to Russian tourists In recent years, the Belarusian leadership has been attempting to create a positive image of the country to attract foreign visitors. So far, Belarus seems to appeal mostly to Russian tourists Russians perceive Belarus as a nostalgic holdout of the USSR with quality food and good cheap ‘Soviet’ service They see tourism in Belarus more as a trip down ‘memory lane’ most Belarusian health resorts have relied on Russian tourists for business the launch of the cruise ship Belaja Ruś is a new pearl for Belarusian tourism This motor ship is a restored and altered OS-2 technical vessel Its restoration lasted more than five years and the total cost of the project remains a secret to this day Local workers at the ship-repair yard jokingly call it the Titanic Decorations are mostly of Belarusian origin Open deck for evening gatherings and fresh air The honorary launch of the ship’s maiden voyage took place at the Pinsk shipyard Local officials and plant workers were invited to the ceremony Speakers expressed their hope that this new tourist itinerary would be profitable enough for the plant to finally regain its former glory and attract new orders for ship manufacturing Officials speaking at the shipyard near the skeleton of a new ship In accordance with long-standing tradition a bottle of champagne was smashed against the ship board The bottle only shattered on the third attempt A blessing by an Orthodox priest is an indispensable part of any ship launching ceremony Officials did not reveal the final cost of the ships saying only that the works lasted for many years and it is hard to calculate the costs The city of Pinsk has its own river station with distinctive wooden architecture Shipyard workers stare bemusedly at the first tourists Although many small technical ships sail along the Pina the appearance of a tourist motor ship has sparked unprecedented interest The captain and his crew set out on their first trial voyage A notable marketing move: the name of the ship is the name of an official pro-government public association which unites Lukashenka’s power vertical and is widely referred to in official ideology Local officials and journalists were the first to embark on the ship’s trial voyage Tourists have been able to book cruises since 29 April About the photographer: Siarhei Leskiec is a freelance photographer whose work focuses on everyday life he received a history degree from the Belarusian State Pedagogical University Today's Belarusian communists deny mass repressions They believe that Stalinist atrocities are exaggerated They say there isn't much blood on the hands of the Chekists from the 1930s and that it was shed fairly: the criminals were shot But it hasn't been long since then that everything has been forgotten Evidence of the atrocities of those times is preserved in all kinds of places where NKVD set up a prison for "enemies of the people" in...a temple The Soviet authorities hated religion and tried to subordinate and destroy the church Many church buildings were simply blown up Others were taken from priests and converted to the needs of the economy: warehouses Prisoners from all over Palessie were kept here (in 1938 Mazyr became the center of the Palessie region) offices of NKVD officers were set up in the temple where "special courts of three" interrogated and passed sentences There were people lying on three-tier bunk beds There was a disciplinary cell in the church dungeons but since 1937 the death penalty has been carried out immediately in the lower church a total of more than 2 thousand death sentences were passed here of which about 300 were executed in the lower church Here the dead were poured with sand and lime The dungeons of the temple were turned into a huge mass grave the servants of the church gained access to the burial site a memorial hall was created here - a monument temple Become a journalist!Report topic! Support usDonate Spar Belarus has announced that it has opened a new Eurospar supermarket in the city of Mazyr Located in a residential area in southern Belarus the new store offers a sales space of nearly 1,000 square metres The new store offers a high level of customer service A structured floor plan makes navigation easy and enables customers to find things effortlessly The retailer is set to launch more stores in the country over the course of the year Contact us: info@rli.uk.com In January 202, exports of Belarusian gasoline to Ukraine amounted to 77 thousand tons -- 60% more than in January 2020 Belarus supplied the same amount of fuel to Ukraine in two months a ton of Belarusian motor fuel cost Ukraine from $380 to $420 This means that the cost of all the gasoline supplied in January may exceed $30 million.  But not all of this money goes to Naftan and Mazyr refineries Part of it "settles" with the exporters only the Belarusian Oil Company had the right to officially export the products of the Belarusian refineries Its shareholders were the Mazyr and Navapolatsk refineries the exporter actually belongs to the state the New Oil Company (NOC) was established in Belarus which was also allowed to export petroleum products The controlling stake in NOC belongs to businessman Mikalai Varabey and the minority shareholders are the Development Bank and Belarusian Railways Another Belarusian oligarch and longtime partner of Varabey was previously mentioned among the possible co-owners The company states that at the initial stage it is engaged in the supply of dark oil products -- bitumen and fuel oil it later turned out that supplies of diesel fuel purchased from the Belarusian Oil Company were carried out through the NOC the NOC operates through the company Belkaztrans Ukraine 51% of it is owned by the same Mikalai Varabey In 2019 this company became the exclusive forwarder of coal in Ukraine caused difficulties for the companies of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich which struggled to export goods through Belarus Belarus became the third exporter of oil products a structure of the Presidential Administration it was Alyaksei Aleksin who managed the sale of oil products in the Presidential Administration Now Belzarubezhtorg has the right to export dark oil products as well as those classic "diluents and solvents," that were a part of the scandal which erupted in 2012 which insisted that gasoline and diesel from duty-free Russian oil was for the domestic markets of Belarus and Russia has been operating in Ukraine for several years it was selling dark petroleum products even before permission was granted But here too a possibility remains that BZT-Ukraine bought them from BNK to resell later Something similar is done by the New Oil Company "Putin's cousin", Ukrainian oligarch and MP Viktor Medvedchuk is indirectly one of the beneficiaries of the whole system of Belarusian oil products export to Ukraine. We already told you about his close ties with Aleksin and Varabey. And here's another one: together with Varabey Medvedchuk is a shareholder of the Prykarpat-Zapadtrans pipeline In the past the purchase of its shares was justified by cheaperer delivery of light oil products by "pipe" than by other means of transportation It was even cheaper if you had your own pipeline Among the main buyers of Belarusian gasoline are large Ukrainian companies OKKO and WOG Both companies previously used the services of the pipeline owned by Prikarpat-Zapadtrans Belarusian oil products are actively purchased by companies of the Wexler Group which (surprise!) is also linked with Medvedchuk.  BRSM-Nafta (no relation to the Belarusian Youth Council) actively buys Belarusian oil products It is associated with the Ukrainian politician and video blogger Anatoly Shariy who plays "on the same field" as Medvedchuk Some petroleum products are exported to Ukraine in tank cars by rail The build-up of these supplies benefits Belarusian railways it benefits the end representatives of the companies buying the Belarusian products When supplies and transportation of Belarusian oil products through Ukraine are done by pipeline Varabey and Medvedchuk benefit from increased exports.  Routes Author:   Nasta Eroha It’s a pleasant and surprisingly lively town in Grodno region that is actually closer to Lithuania and Poland rather than to Minsk Almost 40% of the 100,000 population are Polish Lida has been named the best place for doing business in Belarus several times But for most of the travelers it will be more interesting to see the local number one attraction –14th century Lida Castle the first stone castle on the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania built in 1330 and at the end of 19th century city authorities allowed to take it to pieces to rebuild the city damaged by fire The castle was restored in the worst belarusian traditions in 2010 Today there’s a museum and opportunity to master your archery skills touristic agencies offer animated excursions and in summer you can even take part in a real knight tournament Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (2 Sovetskaya Str.) is situated next to the castle It is the only survived religious building of late Baroque style of 18th century Inside of the church you’ll find the 15th century Icon of the Mother of God and just by the building – a massive stone in honour of foundation of Lida If you want to plunge into the Belarusian culture and learn how to sculpt pots on a potter’s wheel, drop in at the center of crafts and traditional culture Spadchyna (12 Here are the museum and the traditional belarusian puppet theater Batleika Take a stroll to the Mound on Lenina Street; it looks very cool it’s the pyramid and slanting trunks of guns a picturesque river and a park dotted with lovely benches We recommend visiting the famous Lidskae beer plant (32 where the guide will show the entire process of brewing explain the difference between porter and pilsner and even teach you how to taste it right The main local abandoned byilding is the Izotron plant and there even happened illegal raves several times Coffee Way (6 Leninskaya Str.) is a coffee point that offers burgers and hot dogs with freshly brewed coffee (latte – € 0,9 Pizza Panda (29 Sovietskaya St) is the perfect place to have lunch for its huge portions and fast service In the evening you can go to Lida beer (32, Mickiewicza Str.). The place looks like a cozy European pub with fresh beer from the factory and an impressive menu (you should try the fore shank Better book a table in advance as this place is very popular Gastro bar Chekhov (1/3 Grunwaldskaya St) is suitable for those looking for more exquisite menu and fancy interiors On Thursday nights there are always discos A cheaper place is Equator Hotel (54b there is a SPA center in the same building for you to recover By the way, there is a hostel called Perekrestok (Radzyuka St) but the price is ridiculous – € 14 for a double There is a great deal of options like buses (€ 3) and trains (the trip takes 3-4 hours) In 1865 in Turau there was found an 11th century Bible the most ancient book created on our territories Back then Turau was called ‘the second Jerusalem’ for its 45-70 (there’re various opinions) ortodox churches. Actually, all of them were tiny wooden buildings that didn’t make it through a few fires. The only church that survived in big fire of 1834 is blue Orthodox church of All Saints (99 Inside you’ll find two stone crosses; according to the legend they came from Kiev by the river Pripyat and are able to cure Another cool place to see is the ancient castle with ruins of wooden houses and foundation of a 11-12th century church Don’t forget that Turau has perfect location. Bird lovers should visit Turauski Lug, an ornithological territory of international level, fishing and hiking amateurs can head for Pripyat National Park The local dairy factory produces delicious ricotta and mozarella under the brand Bonfesto (you must have seen them at any supermarket) There is a café with the same name at the factory (154 The menu is much more various that just dairy products as you don’t usually expect such a high level so far from Minsk and the staff is really nice and professional unhasting staff and European cuisine sprinkled with draniki and home made sausages are waiting for you at the Turov Hotel restaurant (10a Almost the only good option is to drop a bag in the brand new Turovskie Legendy Guest House with simple clean room designs internet and orthopedic beds for € 20 per double room By the way, there is a pleasant belarusian café Budzmo For cheaper options, check out Turov Hotel (10a Or just step by to buy pretty nice souvenirs If not by car, go by minibus It’s also possible to reach Zhytkavichy by train (with a transfer in Baranavichy or Luninets) This ancient Belarusian town was the first capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Like Constantinopole and Rome, Navahrudak stands on seven hills. Right here the great prince and the only Grand Duchy of Lithuania king Mindaugas was crowned, and Adam Mickiewicz Of course, the main point of attraction in town is the ruins of the 12th Navahrudak Castle It was destroyed by the Swedes in the 18th century almost to the current state; there are only two crumbling walls remaining now Today it is a nice place to walk and have picnic with a great view of the town from the Castle Hill Among other attractions there is a perfectly preserved Transfiguration Church built in 1714 in the Sarmatian Baroque style. The second important building in Navahrudak is 18th centurt St. Michael Archangel Church founded at the monastery that hadn’t survived If you are not touched by catholic churches, then visit Orthodox church of St. Barys And St. Hlieb The poet Adam Mickiewicz was born and lived in Navahrudak before entering the Vilnius University, and therefore you should visit his house-museum (1 the concentration of monuments devoted to Mickiewicz in Navahrudak is huge the Mound of Immortality constructed in his honor which obviously offers a great view of the surroundings The best location in terms of price and quality is café-bar Rome (9 hot meals are cheap and the service is fast Should your soul ask for more elegant interios and sophisticated meals you are welcome at the restaurant Valeria (6 If you want to bring a souvenir from Navahrudak buy a bottle of rice kvas in Navahrudak winery shop (6 Hotel Crocus (57/1 recently renewed place that has orthopedic beds A triple room costs € 22 with breakfast included As usual, the best way to get to Navahrudak from Minsk by minibus (€ 2) An ideal option of a one-day trip from Minsk is Zaslauje. Some 40 minutes by a high-speed train – and here you are in another town, founded in 10th century. The legend says that the Kiev prince Vladzimir gave Zaslauje to Rogneda of Polatsk and her son Izyaslav (in whose honor the place was named) as a gift There is also another version of what happened back then Vladzimir exiled Rogneda and her son to Zaslauje after a failed assasination attempt the town is very ancient and very interesting If you go to Zaslauje with children, they will definitely like Children’s Museum of Myths and Forests (4 Wanna see how creatures from ancient legends looked like walk to the Dehnovka area and climb the hill – it offers the best views of Zaslauje and Minsk Our favorite place is café Shinok (Savetskaya Str.) ask about a table in advance as Minsk companies really like to throw their corporate parties here An ordinary back-to-ussr-style café with tasty food and coffee to go There are not so many places for an overnight stay in Zaslauje – just the hotel Avenue (100A An alternative is the agriturismo Rabbit Hole (€ 35) it is easer to find a place to sleep in Minsk The simpliest way to get there is by any train heading for Maladziechna you need to get off at the station called Belarus It will be really cool if you travel by the train Minsk – Belarus You can also get to Zaslauje by minibus and by bus Gora Komunarov) which is not actually a caslte but just a fantasy on the topic of defensive constructions it’s nice to get a cup of coffee and go for a walk there to contemplate the city view even in winter Then go down to the river Pripyat to count lazy barges flowing back and forth and if you’re lucky enough even to catch the motor ship Mazyr – Turau At the city center you won’t be able to miss Lenina Street, which is the only in town where there are still buildings of the end of 19th century. The building of the the Melezh drama theater stands out of the whole ensemble but with any luck you can see an evening performance (ticket cost begins from € 3) A beautiful complex of red brick industrial buildings is Mazyr brewery (180 It provided Nicholas II with beer back then and now it produces only local sbiten and mead Another must-do in Mazyr is a tram ride. Besides Mazyr, trams run only in Minsk, Vitsebsk and Navapolatsk. The tram has only 7 stops in the town and then it goes right to the oil refinery Just do not attract much attention while taking photos: the watchmen here have their own concept of security and spying There’s a ski resort that functions during winter season.  Have a decent cup of coffee at Smachna Kawa Savetskaya Str.) welcomes you for lunch; it’s a whole house in the city center with a huge terrace but actually they offer a good choice of meat and fish steaks at honest prices You should try it at the special place called Kimborovka (108 It’s a bar at the brewery that has been working since Stalin times ginger sbiten taste even better in sovietic green interiors You can take all this beauty away for € 1,5 per liter Yorkpub guarantees an excellent dinner a huge menu and loud parties on Friday nights Euro Mini Hotel (101 Internatsionalnaya Str.) is a cute hotel at the center The interiors are probably even worth taking a selfie: a room for two with its own kitchen There is also a cheaper option, a guest house with an obvious name – The Guest House Hotel (38 For € 10 you can get a cheerful double room with a TV-set and internet connection There are billiards and sauna at the guest house in 15 minutes you’ll arrive to the city center Text by Nasta Eroha, translation by Alexandra Murashko, Belarusfeed From tourist classics to secluded spots for the locals – we’re exploring Minsk together with VETLIVA modern art – here are 5 Belarusian towns that will surprise you ‘A village should have everything that a city has Worthy reasons for travel all over the country All iconic places of the 1930's architecture in one stroll Together with Biketours.by we discover fully supported bike tourism in Belarus and provide 3 reliable routes for a trip nature venues and holiday camps in the most famous resort region of Belarus The city that has experienced a lot of disturbance throughout its long history Exploring secrets and legends of one of the largest cities in Belarus We’re traveling to the ancient capital  of Palessie A new episode of our audioseries is about Turaŭ  A trip to the ancient capital of the Grand Dutchy The rock capital of Belarus has a lot of stories to tell E-mail: 34travelby@gmail.com The reference to source is obligatory if you use materials of the site 34travel.me does not bear responsibility for the advertisements UK: 18+ USA: 21+ | Begambleaware.org  | T&Cs apply | Play Responsibly How many Belarusian footballers can you count? Aliaksandr Hleb, obviously. Championship/Football Manager enthusiasts can also name Maksim Tsyhalka as an example Maksim Romashchenko is an underrated footballer simply because of the fact that his talent was overshadowed by his compatriot he played for 14 different clubs and scored 103 goals in 451 matches for those clubs We will now take a look at the life and career of a player who was outdone by a certain Aliaksandr Hleb we will start with the early life and career of this player Maksim Yorevich Romashchenko was born on 31 July 1976 in Pavlohrad He began his career with FC Dnipro at youth level the 17-year old Maksim played his first professional match for Polihraftekhnika Oleksandria After scoring twice in 17 appearances with ‘Sashka (The Alex)’ he went to Mogilev in Belarus to play for FC Dnepr After a single appearance with this soon-to-be disbanded club he departed for the Mazyr side MPKC (Mazyrski Pramyslova-Kamertsyyny Tsentr) nothing would ever be same for this prodigy 21 goals in 58 appearances as well as a Belarusian league and cup double in 1996 he received his first full international cap for Belarus – more on that later after scoring 15 times in 89 matches for ‘Belo-golubye (The White and Blues)’ Romashchenko joined Turkish side Gaziantepspor In his first season (not his first full season!) with ‘Şahinler (The Falcons)‘ he came close to lifting the league title with the south-eastern Turkish side 2003 saw Romashchenko depart Gaziantepspor for Trabzonspor having found the back of the net 20 times in 62 matches for ‘The Falcons’ In his solitary season with the Black Sea club He also won the Turkish Cup with Trabzonspor in 2004 Maksim then returned to Central Dynamo Stadium in the same year He won the Belarusian Footballer of the Year award at the end of the year Failing to lift a trophy with ‘Dinamiki (The Loudspeakers)’ in his second spell recording 9 goals in a total of 43 appearances in the process he joined one of the local rivals of Dynamo Despite scoring 15 times in 27 matches in all competitions for ‘Avtozavodtsy (The Car Factory Workers’ his club failed to return to Russian Premier League at the first time of asking His journey with the Bursa side did not last long as he joined Khimki in July 2009 after getting on the scoresheet 4 times in 36 matches for ‘Yeşil Timsahlar (The Green Crocodiles)’ Romashchenko also played for Salyut Belgorod and a second spell with Khimki before finally retiring in 2013 Maksim Romashchenko was one of those players as he was more productive for his country averaging nearly a goal in two games – 5 goals in 12 caps This impressive performance caught the attention of Mikhail Vergeyenko He was given a chance against Lithuania on 7 June 1998 and he delivered it in the 81st minute of the game by scoring the last goal in the 5-0 friendly win at Dinamo Stadium in Minsk another friendly against the same opposition on 19 August in Vilnius Maksim had to wait 4 years and 2 days to score another goal for his country – a brace against Latvia His other victims include Italy -against whom he scored twice in a 3-4 loss- Romashchenko’s only international hat-trick came against Latvia in 2004 Maksim Romashchenko can also claim to have scored five times in the space of 3 days for Belarus as goals against Cyprus and Latvia in Cyprus International Football Tournament in February 2004 proves that His last goal for Belarus came against Malta on 6 February 2008 He retired with 20 goals in 64 international caps scoring more goals for the White Wings than any other player His other international honours include an LG Cup victory in 2002 and a Malta International Football Tournament in 2008 not only could he play on the left side of the pitch His silky passes and lethal left foot proved crucial wherever he went What was the reason for Maksim Yorevich Romashchenko’s failure to lure football clubs outside Eastern Europe It certainly cannot be the opinion that Belarusian players cannot thrive in Western Europe since the likes of Sergey Gotsmanov and Sergei Aleinikov had proved otherwise in the early 1990s He had to work hard in order to play for a big club and his performance for MPKC Mazyr is the clearest form of evidence of that he could have reached the standards Aliaksandr Hleb or Vitali Kutuzov did have scouts from the western side of the continent came to see Maksim Romashchenko play on the pitch He will remain one of the what-ifs of European football Subscribe to Punditfeed on Google News for all the latest updates from the world of sports I am currently studying English Linguistics at Hacettepe University in Ankara a website in which less-known football stories are told