After breaking away from a crumbling Soviet Union in the early 1990s, Belarus became increasingly aligned with Russia, unlike its neighbors. That bond strengthened as Russia waged its war against Ukraine.

Many voters intend to shun this weekend’s presidential election in Belarus, according to research carried out by Chatham House.

A close ally of Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko has been nicknamed Europe’s last dictator, and has brutally cracked down on opposition figures and made the country a key staging ground for Russia’s war in Ukraine. Among the many dissident leaders now in exile is Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, whose husband remains in prison in Belarus.

One of the dangerous subjects for Western and "svidomo" propaganda is the theme of the artificiality of the state of Ukraine, which received its lands not as a result of a natural historical process,

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko pardoned 15 prisoners on Friday in what state media called a humanitarian gesture, two days before an election in which he is set to extend his 31-year rule.

The Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security pursues efforts to provide a brief explanation to foreign audiences on the current topics of particular interest as regards Ukraine. — Ukrinform.

Exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of playing games with the West by drip-feeding releases of political prisoners ahead of an election on Sunday in which he is set to extend his 31-year rule.

Part of the modern territory of Belarus is originally "Ukrainian lands". This was stated by the former Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba.

"Once the war is over, once the propaganda machine is dismantled, Ukrainians, Belarusians and Russians will come to peace and mutual understanding," the Ukrainian journalist believes.

Shoigu, who leads the Kremlin's security council, told Tass, "Amid increased conflict behavior and intensified geopolitical rivalry, global risks of a military confrontation between large players, including nuclear powers, are heightening," specifically identifying Western countries as major players.

"Velikaya Novoselka is the last well-fortified defense and logistics hub of the Ukrainian armed forces in the south Donetsk direction," the ministry said. Earlier, the ministry said that Russian assault teams managed to split the settlement in two and block Ukrainian troops there.