Belarusian exiles band collectively to defend Ukraine

Belarusian exiles have fashioned the primary unit of overseas fighters taking on arms for Ukraine following President Volodymyr Zelensky’s name for a brand new worldwide brigade to hitch their warfare towards Russia.

They’ve arrange a particular unit within the Ukrainian military that’s combating to defend the capital Kyiv after scores of Belarusians flooded into the nation to hitch the battle.

Their leaders have issued a warning to Belarusian troops massing on Ukraine’s northern border to both keep at residence or be part of their aspect ‘combating for freedom’ towards each Russia’s president Vladimir Putin and his ally Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk.

Lukashenko hosted the Russian invasion forces and allowed his land for use for missile launches. The veteran dictator has turned reliant on Putin since crushing pro-democracy protests after a disputed presidential election outcome two years in the past.

Some dissidents fled to Ukraine – however following warnings from US defence officers, there are fears that Lukashenko could ship his personal troops over the border to battle alongside Putin’s armed forces regardless of the despot’s agency denials on Friday.

Now Yan Melnikov, who has been combating for the airfield in Vasilkyv, close to Kyiv, has introduced that he’s heading the primary unit of overseas volunteers within the Ukrainian armed forces with greater than 50 recruits from his nation.

‘We urge each Belarusian who has a need to battle shoulder to shoulder with Ukrainians for the widespread beliefs of freedom and the worth of sovereignty to hitch us,’ he mentioned in a video launched by the nationalist Azov Battalion.

He was flanked by seven different armed Belarusian fighters. There have additionally been solutions on social media that individuals combating Lukashenko’s regime have been sabotaging rail and cellphone communications to frustrate the warfare effort.

Zelensky referred to as for foreigners to hitch their battle on the weekend when asserting a brand new navy unit – the Worldwide Legion of the Territorial Protection of Ukraine – to fight Putin. ‘That is the start of a warfare towards Europe,’ he mentioned.

A number of British volunteers have declared their intention to enroll – though Boris Johnson has warned they may face terrorism prices upon their return. A minimum of one Briton is regarded as encircled in fierce combating across the port of Mariupol.

Melnikov, a veteran of the eight-year battle with pro-Moscow separatists in east Ukraine, mentioned 30 Belarusian comrades in Ukraine had been joined by newcomers arriving final week within the unit combating below the Territorial Defence Forces, made up of navy reservists.

‘We share the identical idea of freedom because the Ukrainian individuals,’ he mentioned. ‘However right this moment Belarus is occupied by pro-Russian forces with a authorities completely below their management. Belarusian freedom is determined by the liberty of Ukraine.’

Pictured: Vadim Kabanchuk, a member of the particular unit within the Ukrainian military that’s combating to defend the capital Kyiv after scores of Belarusians flooded into the nation to hitch the battle

The cash raised by the Mail Drive charity – in record-breaking time – has already been put to good use, with moms and youngsters arriving over the border to Slovakia yesterday greeted by help staff funded by our beneficiant readers

Different outstanding Minsk activists have revealed that greater than 200 Belarusians have joined different items of the Territorial Defence Forces in assist of Kyiv.

Two of them have launched a video attraction to Belarusian troopers ‘to not observe Lukashenko’s felony orders’, as an alternative urging them to make ‘an ethical alternative’ to remain at residence or alternatively to defect in Ukraine.

‘Guys, this isn’t your warfare, keep at residence. If it occurs that you’re despatched to Ukraine, give up as quickly as attainable,’ mentioned Vadim Kabanchuk, a former political prisoner, and Vadim Prokopyev, a former enterprise proprietor. ‘Make the correct alternative.’

Prokopyev, who arrived in a convoy of seven automobiles from Warsaw on Monday, mentioned that Belarusian recruits have been pouring over the Polish border in latest days to hitch exiles already in Ukraine.

‘The future of Belarus goes to be decided on this battle between the Russian world and the free individuals of Ukraine. That is our battleground too. If we win right here, then the times of Lukashenko are numbered.’ 

Putin overtly claims to be ‘ridding Ukraine of neo-Nazis’ – regardless of little assist for far-right within the nation 

By Chris Jewers for MailOnline 

In a weird and traditionally inaccurate tackle final week, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed he was ‘ridding Ukraine’ of ‘neo-Nazis’ by invading.

Like all nations, Ukraine shouldn’t be freed from far-right teams. Nonetheless, they get pleasure from little assist from the general public.

Within the final normal election in 2019, which noticed President Volodymyr Zelensky rise to energy with over 70 p.c of the vote, the Ukrainian far-right obtained a humiliating 2 p.c.

Because of this, far-right teams didn’t hit the 5 per cent minimal wanted to achieve entry into parliament.

What’s extra, regardless of Putin’s stunning feedback, Zelensky himself is Jewish whose household tree options members who escaped from the clutches of Nazi Germany and the horror of the Holocaust. 

Nonetheless, there have been issues raised about neo-Nazis and the rise of the far-right in Ukraine, with Azov, a nationalist battalion, now a unit throughout the nation’s navy.

The problem was raised once more when a great-grandmother pictured wielding an AK-47 in preparation for an invasion was revealed to have been taught how one can use the weapon by the group.

Valentyna Konstantynovska, 79 years-old, holds a weapon throughout fundamental fight coaching for civilians, organized by the Special Forces Unit Azov, of Ukraine’s Nationwide Guard, in Mariupol, Donetsk area, jap Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022

The Azov battalion has been accused of neo-Nazism and attacking LBTQ and Roma communities. 

Putin appears to now be peddling a conspiracy that has spiked since final November, maybe utilizing the Azov Battalion as a scapegoat to achieve home assist for his warfare.

Keir Giles, an professional on the nation, who wrote a Nato report on its info warfare, advised the BBC Russia is ‘swift to label its adversaries and victims in Europe as Nazis’.

He added to the web site: ‘We now have seen this not solely in Ukraine, but additionally in Russia’s vilification of the Baltic states.’