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Belarus’ Security Council claims 'militants' are trained in Russia to infiltrate country

According to the Belarusian security agencies, in all, there are "up to 200 militants" on the republic’s territory

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, center, holds a meeting with the members of the Security Council Nikolai Petrov/BelTA/TASS

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, center, holds a meeting with the members of the Security Council

© Nikolai Petrov/BelTA/TASS

MINSK, July 30. /TASS/. State Secretary of the Security Council of Belarus Andrey Ravkov during a meeting with presidential candidates informed about the training in Russia of "certain groups" of "militants" who are allegedly preparing to infiltrate the republic's territory, presidential candidate Andrey Dmitriev told reporters after the meeting on Thursday.

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Russian citizens detained in Belarus testify

"We were told that right now in the country there are 170 militants trained in sabotage and sniper activities. Certain groups are being formed near Pskov and Nevel [according to Ravkov - TASS]," he said.

The state secretary of the Security Council of Belarus also said that the detained Russians tell different stories, the presidential candidate revealed. "Some of them say openly: "We came to make a revolution," he quoted the state secretary.

"It has also been said that the GRU [former name of the Main Directorate of the Russian General Staff - TASS] and the FSB did not inform in advance that this group [of Russians whom the Belarusian side calls the employees of the "private Wagner military company"] should be in Belarus," he added.

He called the information made public by the Belarusian authorities "incredibly serious." According to him, it constitutes grounds for the interaction of the intelligence services of Minsk and Moscow.

The detention of Russians

As the Belarusian side reported, on the night of July 29 near Minsk 32 Russian citizens were detained who, according to the Belarusian law enforcement, are affiliated with a foreign private military company. One more individual was apprehended in southern Belarus.

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on Wednesday held an emergency meeting with the members of the Security Council after which the Security Council’s state secretary reported about the enforcement of operational control of state border, including the border with Russia, and about security measures during mass events, including election campaign ones, prior to the August 9 vote. On Thursday, he told journalists that the detained Russians are suspected of plotting a terrorist act. According to the Belarusian security agencies, in all, there are "up to 200 militants" on the republic’s territory.

The Russian embassy in Minsk received an official notice of the detention of Russians from the Foreign Ministry of Belarus. Ambassador Dmitry Mezentsev was invited to a meeting at the Foreign Ministry in the afternoon of July 30.

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