Reports of KGB Chairman Valery Vakulchik and Chairman of the Investigative Committee Ivan Noskevich

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko heard out reports from KGB Chairman Valery Vakulchik and Chairman of the Investigative Committee Ivan Noskevich on the situation with the previously detained Russians from a private military company on 1 August.

“Many facts (you reported to me in a written form) are interesting. I can see that our neighbors have become silent. They are no longer shouting that they sent these guys to Istanbul. There was no Istanbul in their plans as the investigation shows. It is clear that this group had different goals. The task of the investigators is to find out these goals,” said the head of state.

He asked to treat the detainees with care. “They are guilty, of course, but not so much as to take any harsh measures against them. They are soldiers. They got an order and embarked on its implementation. We have to deal with those who made the order, who sent them here,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.

“You have done a good job by finding out that this was the first group. I understand that this is only the first group of 180 or 200 people who were planned to be relocated to Belarus. I have read the report, it is accurate data. An attempt to hide the ‘tail’ in Russia and say that they agreed with us the arrival of this group is a complete nonsense,” said the Belarusian leader.

He explained that the relevant agencies of the two countries always cooperate, no matter what events are held in Belarus with the participation of Russian military. “Only the president can give permission for military personnel to visit Belarus, either with equipment or without equipment, airplanes, helicopters, etc... No one has given any permission. Moreover, we have serious suspicions about the goals the group was planning to fulfill,” the head of state said.

The president stressed that the Belarusian side is open to cooperation in the current situation: “We will not build a policy on lies. We will not solve the issue by shouting at each other in the media. Therefore, if anybody of Russians has a desire to get additional information, we are always open. We are not hiding anything, but we need the truth.”

Aleksandr Lukashenko gave instructions to the competent Belarusian agencies. “The investigation is conducted by the Investigative Committee. Operational support is provided by you [KGB - BelTA] and the police. Work carefully. The truth must be shown to society,” he said.