Belarus

Polish army reports increased small drone activity near Belarus border

Poland said it had detected heightened activity of small drones near its border with Belarus on Wednesday evening, in a further sign of tensions after an airspace violation involving suspected…

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Russia puts nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile on ‘combat duty’ in Belarus

Moscow has placed hypersonic nuclear-capable Oreshnik missiles stationed in Belarus on “combat duty,” the Russian Defense Ministry revealed in a video released Tuesday. No details were released on how many…

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Lithuania weighs suspending passenger routes to Russia and Belarus

As Latvia moves to suspend regular passenger services to Russia and Belarus, Lithuania’s interior minister said that adopting a similar measure is worth considering in response to growing security threats…

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Lithuania’s Vilnius airport closes again due to balloons

Lithuania's Vilnius airport said on Sunday it had temporarily halted operations due to balloons moving towards its airspace, diverting some incoming flights to other cities. "Attention: Vilnius Airport operations have…

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Belarus frees two Catholic priests serving long jail terms after visit by Pope Leo’s envoy

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has freed two Roman Catholic priests convicted of "serious crimes against the state" following diplomatic contacts with the Vatican, state news agency Belta reported on Thursday.…

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Belarus security chief seeks dialogue with Ukraine

The head of Belarus's security agency said his institution was trying to build contacts with Ukraine to help achieve a settlement of its more than 3-1/2-year-old war with Russia, the…

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Latvia Strengthens Eastern Flank Security with New Air and Land Restrictions

Latvia is reinforcing its border security with Russia and Belarus, extending both air and land restrictions indefinitely as part of ongoing efforts to manage regional security risks and align with…

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Poland urges citizens to ‘immediately’ leave Belarus

Poland's Embassy in Minsk called on Polish citizens to "immediately leave" Belarus, amid rising tensions stemming from Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. "In the event of a drastic deterioration in…

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Moscow and Minsk rehearse launch of nuclear weapons deployed in Belarus

Russia and Belarus are rehearsing the launch of Russian tactical nuclear weapons as part of joint war games, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday. State media quoted the Belarusian…

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Belarus releases 52 prisoners, US embassy in Lithuania says

Belarus has freed 52 prisoners of various nationalities and they are now on their way to Lithuania with the U.S. delegation that negotiated their release, a spokesperson for the U.S.…

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European operation identifies alleged Belarusian spy ring

A joint operation between several central European countries has identified an alleged Belarusian spy ring that reportedly included a former deputy head of Moldovan intelligence. A statement from Eurojust, the…

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Belarus says it is looking at how to arm its missile systems with nuclear warheads

Belarus is assessing how best to ramp up domestic production of missiles, including exploring how to equip its Polonez rocket launcher systems with nuclear warheads, a senior Belarusian security official…

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Russia and Belarus to hold joint military exercises in September

The Russian and Belarusian armies are set to hold joint strategic exercises in Belarus from September 12-16, the Belarusian Defence Ministry said on Tuesday. The aim of the drills is…

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Veteran Belarus leader Lukashenko signals this may be his final term

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said in an interview published in the weekend that he did not intend to seek another term, and denied he was lining up his son as…

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Lithuania Mulls Airspace Closures Amid Rising Drone Incursions from Belarus

Lithuanian authorities are actively considering partial airspace closures to counter the increasing threat posed by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) entering the country illegally from Belarus, Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė said…

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Drone from Belarus breaches Lithuanian airspace

An unidentified drone has entered Lithuania from Belarus, the country's authorities said on Monday morning. Residents in parts of the country received phone alert messages warning about the aircraft, which…

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Belarusian opposition leader calls for Trump to ‘punish’ dictator Lukashenko

Belarus unexpectedly released the imprisoned husband of opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya last month, but she continues to call on U.S. President Donald Trump to keep up pressure on the country’s…

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Belarusian leader Lukashenko frees 16 people in new batch of pardons

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned 16 people convicted of various crimes, including "extremism", ahead of the country's independence day, state media reported on Wednesday. Human rights groups and the…

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Belarus leader praises Trump’s handling of Ukraine crisis

Belarusian leader and Russian ally Alexander Lukashenko said in remarks published on March 5 that Moscow and Minsk benefit from how the US treats Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and the…

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Lukashenko wins a 7th term in Belarus election

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko extended his 31-year rule with a massive win in a presidential election that Western governments have rejected as a sham, according to preliminary results on Monday.…

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Lukashenko seeks easing of Belarus isolation as he extends his long rule

Five candidates' names will appear on the ballot for a presidential election in Belarus on Sunday, but for the past 31 years there has only been one winner. In power…

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Switzerland adopts more EU sanctions on Russia and Belarus

Switzerland adopted the latest EU sanctions package on Russia and Belarus, the government said on Monday. The move came one week after the European Union targeted Moscow's vessels and Chinese…

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EU allows countries bordering Russia, Belarus to restrict migrants’ asylum rights

The European Union said that member states bordering Russia and Belarus could restrict migrants’ right to asylum in cases where Moscow and Minsk use them as instruments. Talking to reporters…

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Belarus opposition leader urges people to be ready to take to the streets

Exiled Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has urged people to be ready to take to the streets to topple the regime of dictator Alexander Lukashenko. Speaking at POLITICO’s P28 event in Brussels,…

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Russia and Belarus to sign treaty on security guarantees

Russia and Belarus will conclude a treaty on mutual security guarantees in the interests of both countries, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was cited by the state-run RIA news agency as…

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Russia, Belarus to sign landmark security pact

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, will sign a landmark security pact on Friday that reflects global geopolitical changes, Russian state news agency RIA said on…

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Belarusian leader Lukashenko pardons 32 people jailed for ‘extremism’

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned 32 people who were convicted of extremism, according to the Pul Pervogo Telegram account which reports widely on his activities. It was the sixth…

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Network smuggling migrants via Belarus busted in Poland

The Polish Border Guard, supported by Europol, has successfully targeted a large criminal network smuggling migrants from Belarus and Russia into the EU. The investigation was conducted within the framework…

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ICC to open Belarus crimes against humanity inquiry

The International Criminal Court chief prosecutor said he would launch a preliminary inquiry against Belarus over alleged crimes against humanity under the rule of authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko. Karim Khan…

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Belarus claims Pokemon is a Western intelligence tool

A Belarus Defense Ministry official has accused the once wildly popular mobile game Pokémon Go of being an instrument of Western intelligence. Alexander Ivanov, the ministry’s department head of ideological…

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Poland neutralises sabotage group linked to Belarus and Russia

Polish security services have neutralised a sabotage operation orchestrated by Russia and Belarus that aimed to destabilise Poland, Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said on Monday. Warsaw has repeatedly accused…

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Poland to charge three Belarusians for diverting Ryanair flight in 2021

Polish prosecutors have enough evidence to charge three Belarusian citizens over the forced landing in Minsk in 2021 of a civilian airliner carrying an opposition journalist, who was then arrested,…

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Belarus says it has detained Japanese intelligence agent

Belarusian security forces have detained a suspected Japanese intelligence agent alleged to have observed border areas and military installations of the ex-Soviet state and Russian ally, Belarusian media reported. Media…

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Belarus’s Lukashenko pardons 30 more people convicted over protests

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned 30 more people convicted for protest activity, state news agency Belta said on Wednesday. Human rights activists say there are about 1,400 people in…

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Ukraine calls on Belarus to pull back forces from border

Ukraine called on Belarus to pull back what it described as significant levels of Belarusian forces and equipment deployed at their common border. The Ukrainian foreign ministry warned Belarus against…

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Ukraine says it sees no Belarusian troop movements near border

Ukraine's border guard service said on Thursday that Kyiv had seen no signs of Belarusian troop or military hardware movements near their shared border since Minsk announced it was sending…

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Belarus increases troops, aircraft, and armor at Ukraine border

Belarus said it had sent aircraft, air defence forces and armoury to its border with Ukraine, a day after President Alexander Lukashenko said he had deployed nearly a third of…

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Belarus says there is a high chance of armed provocation from Ukraine

Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin said on Friday there was a high probability of an armed provocation from neighbouring Ukraine and that the situation at their shared border "remains tense",…

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Belarus’ Lukashenko urges Russia and Ukraine to end war as Kursk incursion continues

Russia and Ukraine should negotiate an end to their conflict to avoid the war spilling over into Belarus, President Alexander Lukashenko, a key ally of Vladimir Putin, said in an…

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EU announces new sanctions against Belarusians

The European Union has added 28 Belarusians to its sanctions list for their role in the "ongoing internal repression and human rights violations" in the country. The listings "include various…

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Hungary visa move stokes EU fears of Russian espionage

The European People's Party (EPP) has raised security concerns over a decision by Hungary to ease visa restrictions for Russian and Belarusian citizens, fearing it could fuel espionage in the…

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Latvia asks Lithuania’s assistance in policing its border with Belarus

Latvia has asked Lithuania to send 10–15 border guards to help it handle irregular migration on its border with Belarus. “Latvia has asked for 10–15 officers. And this is the…

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Russia allies North Korea, Belarus keen to boost ties, KCNA says

North Korea is keen to boost ties with Belarus to "open a new era", state media KCNA quoted Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui as saying on Wednesday, a day after…

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Belarus to introduce 90 day visa-free regime for 35 European countries

Belarus, traditionally a close ally of Russia, said on Wednesday it would introduce a 90-day visa-free regime for citizens of 35 European countries in a sign Minsk may be keen…

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China, Belarus start joint military drills near Polish border

China and Belarus started joint military exercises on Monday, the Belarusian and Chinese defence ministries said, holding the drills just few miles (km) from the border of NATO-member Poland and…

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Belarus frees 10 political prisoners but 1,400 remain

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has freed at least 10 political prisoners, rights campaigners said on Thursday, including a veteran opposition figure suffering from cancer. But the rare pardon still leaves…

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Belarus’ Lukashenko says will release ill opponents from prison

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that he was likely to issue an amnesty to some of his jailed political opponents who had taken part in protests against his re-election but…

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Belarus warns it can respond to any scenario of the West

Belarus has a strategy to respond to any scenario developed by the West, the recently appointed Head of the Belarus President Administration Dmitry Krutoi told reporters before laying a wreath…

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Belarus to reinforce its border with Ukraine after security incident

The border service of Belarus and the country's Ministry of Defence are taking measures to further reinforce the Belarusian border with Ukraine after a security incident, the Belarusian border service…

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What are tactical nuclear weapons and why is Russia and its ally Belarus holding drills?

Russia and its ally Belarus are carrying out exercises to practise the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons. What are these weapons, how might they be used and what do we…

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Russia broadens tactical nuclear weapons drills

Russia said on Wednesday that soldiers and sailors from its northern Leningrad military district bordering NATO members Norway, Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania took part in drills to deploy…

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Russia and Belarus start second stage of tactical nuclear drills

Russian and Belarusian troops have started the second stage of tactical nuclear drills in Russia, Russia's defence ministry said on Tuesday. The ministry said the drills were aimed at ensuring…

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Belarus says it is joining nuclear exercises with Russia

Belarus said on Monday its army was taking part in the second stage of Russian exercises ordered by President Vladimir Putin to practise the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons. The…

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Poland to reintroduce buffer zone at Belarus border

Poland will reintroduce a 200-metre buffer zone at the Belarus border at the beginning of next week, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, after an attack on a soldier at the…

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Putin in Belarus to discuss security, tactical nuclear weapon exercises

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Belarus, Moscow's closest ally, for talks with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko expected to focus on security and exercises with tactical nuclear weapons. Minsk…

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Belarus conducts tactical nuclear inspection together with Russia

Belarus has begun checks on the readiness of its army to deploy tactical nuclear weapons, state media said on Tuesday, simultaneously with preparations for a nuclear drill being carried out…

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Lukashenko: Up to me and Putin how to use nuclear weapons

The draft of the new Military Doctrine does not specify the procedure for utilizing nuclear weapons, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko disclosed while speaking to reporters during the 7th Belarusian People's…

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