2020–Present Belarusian Partisan Movement
The Belarusian partisan movement is an ongoing campaign of resistance against the authoritarian regime of Alexander Lukashenko.
It has been suggested that portions of Belarusian and Russian partisan movement (2022–present) be split from it and merged into this article. (Discuss) (January 2024) |
It began in response to the violent suppression of the 2020–2021 Belarusian protests. The partisans aim to depose Lukashenko's government and expel Russian troops from Belarus.
| Belarusian partisan movement (2020–present) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Belarusian democratic movement and Post-Soviet conflicts | |||
| Date | 2020 – present | ||
| Location | |||
| Caused by | 2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Russian invasion of Ukraine | ||
| Goals |
| ||
| Methods |
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| Status | Ongoing | ||
| Parties | |||
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| Lead figures | |||
| Casualties | |||
| Death(s) | Unknown | ||
| Injuries | Several | ||
| Arrested | At least 60 | ||
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History
2020
Lukashenko was declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election on 9 August 2020, intensifying the ongoing protests against his regime. In response the Coordination Council led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was formed on 14 August.
Several key opposition groups aligned with the Coordination Council were formed in the autumn of 2020, such as the Cyber Partisans, Busly liaciać, and BYPOL.
2021
In January, a Belarusian was arrested after an arson attack against a T-72 tank at Ściapianka railway station in Minsk. The Cyber Partisans conducted a campaign of cyberattacks on the regime's internet infrastructure in mid-2021, including the release of personal information of thousands of regime officials, police, military, and regime propagandists. On September 25, a partisan cell under Busły liaciać attacked an OMON base in Uručča with an incendiary mixture dropped from a drone, and in December, another cell attacked a training base of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Valoŭščyna. Throughout the year, partisans participated in blocking railways, destroying CCTV, damaging infrastructure used by the regime, and actions against regime officials.
2022
Partisan activity increased in the buildup to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. In mid-January, the Cyber Partisans launched a cyberattack on infrastructure of Belarusian Railways, severely delaying the movement of Russian transport in Belarus; they stated they would decrypt the systems upon the release of 50 prisoners and Russian troops being removed from Belarus. During the Battle of Kyiv, BYPOL and Belarusian partisans published information on how to disable railway signalling boxes, which severely disrupted the Russian logistic network. In March near Babrujsk, regime security services fired on partisans who set fire railway signals; and by late April there were at least 11 partisans detained.
After the formation of the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment, and their assurances that they will liberate Belarus, representatives of BYPOL stated that they would welcome a national liberation of Belarus if circumstances allow it.
2023
On the 26th of February, 2023, a Beriev A-50 aircraft of the Russian Air Force at Mačuliščy air base was damaged and two explosions were heard. BYPOL claimed that Belarusian partisans were responsible for the disabling of the aircraft.
Same year an organization known as Paspalitaje Rušeńnie (People's Self-Defence) has been created in exile by a Belarusian veteran Sieržuk Kiedyška with goal of, once the occasion arises, liberating the Belarusian territory through military means. It cooperates with the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment, United Transitional Cabinet as well as "Litvins' Club". There are several People's Self-Defence departments in Polish and Lithuanian cities where Belarusian exiles' diasporas exist . Recruited volunteers undergo military training there and swear on oath of loyalty to free Belarus with the traditional national emblems present.
2024
On 16 February 2024, a group of Belarusian and Ukrainian saboteurs in possession of explosives were detained after crossing into Belarus from Ukraine. In a speech responding to the incident, Lukashenko said that the country was regularly stopping attempted incursions by these kinds of armed groups, around "two or three times a week".
On 28 February, BYPOL told Belgian media that that a coup against Lukashenko was being actively planned and would be executed "at the right time". The group said it was training officers in Polish military camps and that 200,000 volunteers had registered to participate in simultaneous resistance actions during the coup(such as marches, blockades, and the installment of barricades in strategic areas). Of these, 5,000 volunteers were preparing to carry out "special operations" such as sabotage.
Exiles
It is believed that between 200,000 and 500,000 Belarusians left Belarus around and after the time of the 2020 election and are living in exile in many countries.
Many are described as politically displaced persons by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which is looking at issues of them possibly becoming stateless and issues of visas and residence permits.
Reactions
The Lukashenko regime has cracked down harshly on partisans. Belarusian courts, which are under regime control, have placed terror charges on partisans, a charge which carries the death penalty in Belarus.
In September 2023 a Belarusian law removed the possibility of renewing official documents at embassies outside of Belarus, aiming to penalise exiled Belarusian citizens by leaving them without valid ID documents, or returning to Belarus, Belarusian's in exile are at risk of statelessness.
See also
References
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