Kremlin sternly urges Belarus to free detained Russians

Kremlin on Friday demanded that Belarus quickly release 33 Russian private security contractors detained on terrorism charges, dismissing accusations as bogus.

Belarusian officials said employees of private Russian military contractor Wagner are facing a criminal probe on charges of plotting terror attacks in Belarus amid country's presidential election campaign. contractors were detained Wednesday.

allegations represent an unprecedented escalation of tensions between Russia and Belarus, tritionally close allies, as Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko seeks a sixth term in Aug. 9 election. Independent observers and opposition supporters in Belarus see detention of Russians as part of authoritarian Lukashenko's efforts to shore up sagging public support.

Kremlin, which first reacted cautiously to Belarus' move, toughened its stance Friday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia expects Belarus to quickly free detainees.

“ unwarranted detention of 33 Russian citizens doesn't fit into framework of allied relations,” Peskov said during a conference call with reporters. “We expect our Belarusian allies to clear up this incident in nearest time and release our citizens.”

Peskov said members of a Russian security firm were en route to an unspecified country and missed a connecting flight to Istanbul at Belarusian capital’s airport. “y have done thing wrong and carried illegal items,” he ded.

Wagner company is linked to Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian businessman who was indicted in United States for meddling in 2016 U.S. presidential election. firm has allegedly deployed hundreds of military contractors to eastern Ukraine, Syria and Libya.

Many observers have pointed out that Belarus long has provided a transit corridor for sensitive Russian operations abro, alleging that Lukashenko w is trying to use a routine Russian deployment for his own political gain.

Throughout his 26 years as president, Lukashenko, a former collective farm director, has relied on Russian subsidies to keep nation’s Soviet-style ecomy running but resisted Moscow’s push for closer integration of neighboring nations. He frequently accused Kremlin of harboring plans to incorporate Belarus and vowed to resist m.

65-year-old Belarusian leer is campaigning to retain his post amid a wave of opposition protests driven by public weariness with his iron-fisted rule and a bruising ecomic dam from coronavirus pandemic.

Election officials have denied candidate registration to his two main challengers, one of whom was jailed. or fled to Russia with his children.

opposition has united behind a third candidate, Svetlana Tikhavskaya, wife of a jailed opposition blogger. On Thursday, Belarus’ Investigative Committee linked detained Russians to her husband as part of a criminal investigation into alleged preparations for staging “mass riots.”

Speaking Thursday at a rally in Minsk that drew tens of thousands of people in biggest demonstration since presidential campaign's start, Tikhavskaya dismissed charges against her husband as a crude fabrication.

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