This article is from the source 'rtcom' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.rt.com/news/496532-belarus-military-company-detention/
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| 33 Russian citizens detained in Belarus as part of ‘foreign private military company’ – state media | 33 Russian citizens detained in Belarus as part of ‘foreign private military company’ – state media |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Authorities in Belarus have detained 33 people suspected of being members of Russian private military company ‘Wagner,’ state media reports. The fighters allegedly had come to destabilize the country during its upcoming election. | Authorities in Belarus have detained 33 people suspected of being members of Russian private military company ‘Wagner,’ state media reports. The fighters allegedly had come to destabilize the country during its upcoming election. |
| Belarus government officials would not immediately confirm the report, saying details of what had happened would be made public “through official channels” in due course. | Belarus government officials would not immediately confirm the report, saying details of what had happened would be made public “through official channels” in due course. |
| Belta, the state news agency, said all the detainees belong to ‘Wagner,’ a Russian company accused of providing mercenary services throughout the world. As many as 200 fighters “may have arrived in our territory to destabilize the situation during the election campaign,” the agency said, citing its sources in law enforcement. | Belta, the state news agency, said all the detainees belong to ‘Wagner,’ a Russian company accused of providing mercenary services throughout the world. As many as 200 fighters “may have arrived in our territory to destabilize the situation during the election campaign,” the agency said, citing its sources in law enforcement. |
| The group of 32 suspects were arrested overnight at a country resort near Minsk. Another one was arrested in the country's South, Belta reported, adding that Belarus state security agency KGB and the Interior Ministry special forces had been involved in the operation. | |
| Footage shown by Belarus 1 television channel showed various items purportedly seized during the arrest. The suspects had Russian passports, cash in US dollars, a user manual for tactical gear, military-style patches, condoms and what appeared to be a text in Arabic. | |
| The story comes amid a tense election campaign in Belarus, where President Alexander Lukashenko is seeking reelection for a fifth term. The campaign has given rise to a scandal, after one of his leading opponents, banker Viktor Babariko was accused of money laundering and other crimes, disrupting his bid for presidency. | The story comes amid a tense election campaign in Belarus, where President Alexander Lukashenko is seeking reelection for a fifth term. The campaign has given rise to a scandal, after one of his leading opponents, banker Viktor Babariko was accused of money laundering and other crimes, disrupting his bid for presidency. |
| Another of his opponents, Valery Tsepkalo, fled from Belarus to Russia last week, saying his arrest was imminent. Like Babariko, he was previously barred from running for the presidency by the Central Election Commission. Lukashenko repeatedly warned that foreign forces and Belarus' opposition groups were plotting to undermine his votes on August 9, by launching a mass protest campaign against his him. | |
| If you like this story, share it with a friend! |