DUSHANBE, October 23. /TASS/. Political opponents of Belarusian authorities are assembling a so-called liberation army of up to 15,000 people within the EU, State Security Committee First Deputy Chairman Sergey Terebov said.
"The opponents’ preparation of a military battlegroup to seize power, including through the creation of a so-called Belarusian liberation army in the EU, poses a significant risk to the country’s national security. According to the government opponents' plans, the army will be formed according to NATO standards and consist of three brigades totalling 9,000-15,000 personnel," he said at the 3rd CIS Conference on Combating Terrorism and Extremism.
According to him, the so-called army is formed from illegal armed groups of Belarusian citizens operating in Poland, Ukraine, and Lithuania. "Under the guise of sporting events, its members undergo combat training according to NATO standards under the guidance of former or current servicemen from NATO countries and Ukraine. The goal is to invade Belarus. Training for such militants focuses on UAVs, including strike drones; urban combat and building assaults; sabotage and terrorist tactics; mine and explosive engineering basics; and the manufacture of improvised explosive devices. Combat drones, small arms, and several mock-ups of government buildings and key military facilities are used for training. The training and education of armed formations is conducted in Ukraine, Poland, the Czech Republic, and the Baltic states," Terebov explained.
He noted that the Ukrainian Security Service provides counterintelligence support for these activities and oversees the formations, while the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate oversees their operational deployment.