Vladimir Putin plans phone conversation with Lukashenko in connection with the arrest in Belarus of Russian citizens. The Kremlin hopes that the situation will be clarified through diplomatic channels and intelligence channels. The journalists said the press Secretary of the President Dmitry Peskov.
According to him, the Kremlin is to have incomplete information about the incident in a neighboring state. “We can only say that 33 Russians were arrested, 200 more are wanted. There is no information about illegal actions that could be cause for arrest,” – said Peskov.
According to him, the clarification of the circumstances of the arrest will be carried out by Russian Ambassador to Belarus. “I hope that as a result of this communication and also on channels of special services, we will get comprehensive information,” – said Peskov, stressing that the Kremlin expects that “all rights of the detained Russian citizens will be fully respected”. A telephone conversation between the two presidents, he said, is not planned.
however, Peskov urged not to trust the insinuations that it is “any organization sending people to destabilize the situation in Belarus before the presidential elections”. “It may not be out of the question, Russia and Belarus are allies,” he said.
Commenting on reports that the detainees are fighters PMCs Wagner, Peskov said that such legal forms in Russia and the activities of private military companies he knows nothing. “What is PMC Wagner? De jure such thing as a PMC in the Russian legislation there. I do not have data about some private military companies”, – said the speaker of the Kremlin.
He reminded that the Russian-Belarusian border is open. Therefore, in the territory of a neighboring state may be a huge number “of Russian men similar clothes that don’t drink alcohol.” “This does not mean that they are engaged in illegal activities, – said Peskov. – We therefore wait for information, on what charge? And why looking for another 200 people?”
About the arrest in Belarus of Russian citizens who, according to the Belarusian side, are the soldiers of PMC Wagner and political analyst Vitaly Shklyarov became known yesterday. According to the version of the local KGB, they allegedly entered the country to destabilize the situation before the presidential elections to be held on 9 August.
on the Morning of 30 July in respect of the detainees was a criminal case about preparation of a terrorist attack. Alexander Lukashenko called what happened an accident and requested the security Council to appeal to the Russian authorities for clarification.
of relevance to the PMC writer Zakhar Prilepin claims hthe mercenaries went through Belarus to another country (presumably, in Sudan), and the Belarusian special services this was well known.
as for the consultant shkljarova, the motive for his arrest was previously arrested presidential candidate in presidents of Belarus Sergei Tikhanovski, which, according to state media in Belarus, the Russians helped to mobilize “protest electorate”. However, surrounded by Tikhanovski deny cooperation with Sklyarova.
see also: FSB General – about PMCs in Belarus: “we Could hire any structure”
