Lukashenko still doubts that the “33 heroes” did not intend to destabilize him
President Alexander Lukashenko told his version of the unjustified detention of 33 Russians, employees of a private security organization, near Minsk.
According to him, “the special services were lucky” that the driver who was carrying the Russians from the border turned out to be a “reliable person” and a “real Belarusian,” who immediately reported this to the authorities. Suspicion was aroused by the fact that the security guards moved from a hotel in Minsk to a sanatorium located not far from the presidential residence. The decision to detain the Russians was made by Lukashenko after the head of the KGB admitted that he would not be able to track 33 people.
“There’s a scandal in the morning. They call us, these are people from Wagner, that’s what they said. They were traveling through Istanbul, some to Libya, some where... The next day: no, these were Sechin’s people going to guard the deposits in Venezuela. I think if these are Igor’s people, we are on excellent terms with him, he would have called me himself to tell me about it. Then I wouldn’t just let them go, I would help. How many security operations we have with the Russians. They would have warned. Here I receive information from Sechin: there are none of mine there, so don’t let them pin them on me. And leapfrog ensued,” said the Belarusian president.
According to Lukashenko, he entrusted the detained Russians to the care of his eldest son Viktor, and “they lived as if in a hotel.” After the prosecutors of Russia and Ukraine refused to come to Minsk to clarify the circumstances, Lukashenko Jr., on instructions from his father, invited the detained Russians to take them wherever they wanted.
“When he introduced himself, their eyes were wide and they started crying. He says: wherever you want. Gomelsky asked to go home, and their eldest asked Viktor: tell me, can we come to Belarus again, no, not on this issue,” Lukashenko said, focusing on the last phrase.
As a result, the Russians were taken to the border.
“The Ukrainians immediately said: it’s not us, it’s America,” Lukashenko said, adding that he is inclined to believe this version, but not completely.
“If I am convinced that they did not come to commit illegal actions in Belarus... But I still don’t know. I just treated them humanely, but I don’t know why they came to us. I don’t know! If you believe what you said: Ukraine, Americans and so on - and I am more inclined to believe in this, but not 100%. If I was convinced, they (Russians – ed.) would decide where to go,” Lukashenko said.
Let us recall that the released members of the private security company told how they were subjected to torture in a Belarusian prison.
Lukashenko still doubts that the "33 heroes" were not planning to destabilize him.