Belarusian Metallurgical Plant (BMZ) / metallurg.belsteel.com The Belarusian Metallurgical Plant (BMZ) pipe rolling shop in Zhlobin produces parts for mortars and armour plates. Some of the products go to Orsha, some to Russia, reports the Zhlobin telegram channel Free Zhlobin the BMZ workers were earlier sent to Orsha to the "Legmash" plant to produce shells Legmash produces shells, for example, for "Grad" missile systems. Aliaksandr Lukashenka's visit to the enterprise in May this year confirmed this Information about preparations for the production of military products at BMZ first appeared in November 2022 it was reported that the BMZ Research Center had been ordered to produce samples of armoured plates for military equipment and body armour The official representatives of the BMZ should have reported on the production of parts for the military-industrial complex Become a journalist!Report topic! Support usDonate You don't have permissions to access this page, 147.45.197.102. Щоб переглянути сайт, увімкніть JavaScript у своєму браузері Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Facing formidable resistance from Lukashenko’s security state, Belarusian revolution appears to be losing steam, finds Oliver Carroll in Zhlobin I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice admits to apprehension as she checks her lipstick and peers out of the back window onto the square that fronts Zhlobin’s Palace of Culture “It’s going to be different today,” she says has already received several phone calls warning of the trouble that might lie ahead as we drive the two-and-a-half hours south of the capital was one of the first to answer calls for a national strike but the Lukashenko regime is fighting dirty with threats to workers and anyone supporting them – some have already been arrested But soon enough a cry of “Maria!” pierces through several hundred locals have appeared from nowhere swarming onto the square to mob the unlikely revolutionary leader What follows is a piece of comedic theatre A small group assembles in a line behind Kolesnikova with a busy woman weaving in amongst them to hand them Belarusian state flags and with a megaphone in hand – climbs on a plinth “Maria Kolesnikova and the opposition have problems and they know it,” he roars The villain of the piece is drowned out by boos “Lukashenko is trying to make us quarrel with each other,” she says “Let’s show people we can talk to each other and that we all want the same things.” In the car with Ms Kolesnikova on the way back – as we discover the man was a local police officer dressing down for the occasion – Kolesnikova says she understood it was an act of deliberate provocation “They are doing everything to intimidate the people but they still come and we have a job to support them and keep the calm.” Belarus’s revolutionary leadership has made non-violent protest a cornerstone of its challenge to Alexander Lukashenko This has largely held despite appalling provocations from the country’s 26-year leader: stealing an election from challenger Svetlana Tikhanovskaya; unleashing Gestapo-type policing; detaining thousands; killing at least four and torturing hundreds in some of the grimmest scenes of recent European history But with the protests losing momentum amid a cunning fightback by Lukashenko’s machine many worry the peace will not hold for long the most effective element of the resistance Several hundred workers at the Zhlobin steel plant have downed tools – but like elsewhere Only a small percentage say they are ready to go to the end with generally only the youngest and ultra-committed holding out Kolesnikova agrees the campaign to remove Lukashenko has entered a new phase of near stalemate But she says any “temporary difficulties” need to be seen in the context of “seismic” changes in the Belarusian mindset that have already occurred you couldn’t imagine even 20 people coming out to protest on the square in Zhlobin,” she says “We understand victory isn’t coming tomorrow but it will come eventually – in a month or in six.” But Kolesnikova concedes there is no plan or roadmap to that victory Like everything else that has happened in Belarus during a remarkable few months but they happened because workers couldn’t stand to see people being beaten up,” she says “The only thing we ever planned for was giving people a sense of self-respect And that’s the unstoppable force that is driving everything else on.” Kolesnikova came to prominence in July as part of a daring three-pronged female challenge to Belarus’s unchanging president she was a professional musician in Germany but was invited to Minsk to run a cultural hub by Viktor Babariko a charismatic bank manager and unexpected future presidential candidate She was later invited to manage Babariko’s presidential challenge – one that shocked Belarus and landed the candidate and his son Edward in jail Kolesnikova says it was the “visionary” Babariko who first proposed promoting the idea of self-respect the opposition had been focused on “loathing Lukashenko.” Babariko wanted Belarusians to believe they had a right to determine their future “Everyone thought he was crazy at the time.” The Babariko campaign’s catchphrase – “we’re extraordinary” – is one of several slogans chanted by the crowds in Zhlobin and would have been imaginable just a few weeks ago “You know something has clicked when factory workers come out and tell you that they are extraordinary,” Kolesnikova says A skilful orator and charismatic presence in her own right the political activist has already made several key contributions to Belarusian history She was the driving force in joining three presidential campaigns behind Svetlana Tikhanovskaya a stay-at-home mother only running because Lukashenko had jailed her husband Kolesnikova reveals Tikhanovskaya was initially very wary of standing alone against an autocrat of well known cruelty But she was brought around in just 15 minutes: “We all had our doubts and represented very different electorates but we all wanted to show that we could compromise.” Tikhanovskaya and Kolesnikova ran a brilliantly simple campaign They rejected personal political ambition and made a promise to hold fresh Belarusians took to it in their numbers and almost certainly voted overwhelmingly for Tikhanovskaya to be their president But after a disgraceful election, and the exits of Tsepkalo to Russia and then Tikhanovskaya to Lithuania under threats of violence She says she never thought about joining them despite the threats and obvious risks We are interested in building truly partner relations “I was very worried when we found out Svetlana was leaving because having her here gave us a different sense of legitimacy,” she says though I realise we’re now playing a long game.” but his control of the state is largely unchanged He can still press a button to summon ministers He also still appears to enjoy the full loyalty of his security services – though it is unclear to what extent that loyalty could depend on the moves of neighbours next door in Russia Kolesnikova announced a new plan to persuade elements of Lukashenko’s security apparatus to defect to the people Most of the plan consists of financial guarantees – officers have to pay to break their contract She insists that the conversations she has had since have been encouraging but there are many who say they support us,” she claims Most of the potential defectors are mid-level bureaucrats but there are “honourable people” inside the KGB “They say they detest him but are frightened to lose their living or worse.” Kolesnikova insists Putin need not be concerned by any new, democratic leadership. There would be no change in the general course of foreign relations, she insists. Any relationship would be built on the kind of hard-headed pragmatism the Russian leader thrives on. “Only pragmatism, zero nationalism,” she says. “We are interested in building truly partner relations. Unlike Lukashenko, we won’t lie five times a day.” Kolesnikova says she has “no illusions” about the belligerent outlook of Russia’s strongman and his nose for geopolitical opportunities. But she “could not fathom” the prospect of military intervention in Belarus that some have predicted. “The majority of Belarusians don’t support Lukashenko,” she says. “You tell me Russians want to fight with the majority of the Belarusian people? I don’t see how that works.” Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Artyom Levshunov is an 18-year-old right-handed defenseman prospect who was born in Zhlobin For the past year he has played at Michigan State University prior to that he played for the Green Bay Gamblers for the 2022-23 season He has also played for Team Belarus’ U17 and U18 team as well as for Belarus in the 2020 World Junior Championship Levshunov will be drafted in the first round View All 2024 NHL Draft Profiles Here Draft Projections#3 by Inside The Rink#4 by Elite Prospects#7 by TSN/Craig Button#2 NHL Central Scouting (North American Skaters)Conrad Jack of Inside The Rink has Artyom Levshunov projected at 3rd overall I’ve highlighted some of Artyom Levhsunov’s attributes; let’s take a deeper dive into his attributes and areas for improvement Levshunov could be one of the best defenseman to enter the draft in the last five years he excels at killing plays between the blue lines transitioning play up the ice and clean wrist shots During his 2023-24 season with Michigan State University he had 35 points in 38 games (nine goals and 26 assists.) He stands at a fully filled out 6’2″ and 209 pounds showing that he is capable of holding his own on the ice Levshunov has shown that he is a strong two-way player He is most effective from the offensive blue line and is comfortable leading the rush and creating zone entries and exits two-way defenseman and is as competitive as it gets But then you’ll find his spatial awareness seems to lack in his own zone from time to time It’s a bit nitpicky because the strengths outweigh the weaknesses but Levshunov won’t last long on draft day Levshunov is comfortable as a playmaker and shooter He has a strong wrist shot and is confident in his passes which was proven this season with almost one point per game Being a defenseman with a right-hand shot combined with his offensive skills jumping up and getting the shot off at the right time I call them subtleties and nuances but it’s also why he can play such big minutes Artyom Levshunov is a well rounded prospect in the 2024 NHL entry draft he’s spent the past two seasons really rounding out his abilities to play both defensively and offensively consistently as he has gotten closer to his draft year He is able to manipulate his opponents with fakes and look-offs he was named the NCAA Big-10 freshman player of the year along with an All-Rookie Team award with the Green Bay Gamblers in the 2022-23 season The offense was a calling card heading into college but Levshunov (who starred in the USHL before that) has also proven he can defend an NHL team won’t have to wait long for him to crack their roster Levshunov could improve by playing with a bit more urgency and could improve a bit on his defensive decision making That should be pretty easy to accomplish as he gets more experience Levshunov will be a hot commodity on draft day having minimal areas of improvement and already being a well-built two way player it would be surprising to see him be drafted anywhere below fifth He could easily be a top-four defender with the experience he has in the offensive zone but it’s also possible that he could be developed into a number one defenseman for the team that drafts him Artyom Levshunov will be a great asset to the team that drafts him but being as well-rounded as he has been in the NCAA and the USHL and he should fit into the NHL with little to no adjustment Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email I grew up in Seattle mostly following baseball as a kid and more recently got into hockey the opportunities and of course the game itself When I’m not watching hockey I spend a lot of time outside with my dog and following all kinds of other sports Anthony Stolarz Leaves Game One Against Florida Panthers The 2025 NHL Draft Lottery took place in Secaucus and the Boston Bruins found out where they will draft in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft on June 27 the fifth-worst team in the NHL in 2024-25 Round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is wrapped up which means one team was eliminated while the other advanced to the second round The Winnipeg Jets clinched the series with a game seven Louis Blues to advance to the second round You don't have permissions to access this page A Belarusian citizen arrested in the United States for helping a Russian oligarch evade sanctions is directly linked to the Belarusian Metallurgical Plant (BMP) In the 2000s, Siarhey Karpushkin lived in Zhlobin and worked at the BMP. The company he now represents, Commodity General Trading USA, LLC (Cogentra), is BMP's official dealer in North America. As Euroradio had learned already in November 2022 Cogentra was mentioned in the documents as a buyer of Zhlobin plant production Karpushkin was arrested for helping Russian oligarch Sergei Kurchenko evade American sanctions for three years Investigators believe the Belarusian and his American accomplice purchased $150 million worth of steelmaking materials for two companies linked to Kurchenko We thank Cyberpartisan for its help in uncovering these facts Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.