MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th October, 2020) Russia notes radicalization of the protests in Belarus, Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov said in an interview with Sputnik, also pointing to existing evidence that the destabilization is managed from abroad, including from the Ukrainian territory.
"We do have information that the destabilization of the situation in Belarus was managed from the Ukrainian territory in particular," Syromolotov said.
According to the Russian diplomat, the rallies are gradually losing scale "even in spite of being supported from abroad."
"However, we note the increasing radicalization: There are less people on the streets, but among them there are more militant thugs with bars and stones, who are primed for aggression against law enforcers," Syromolotov went on to say.
Russia's deputy foreign minister expressed the belief that Minsk assesses realistically "all the threats posed by external forces."
"Competent agencies of Russia and Belarus maintain close cooperation on security issues," Syromolotov concluded.
Belarus has been rocked by protests since mid-August when President Alexander Lukashenko secured re-election to another term in office. Opposition forces keep insisting that Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who has since then fled to Lithuania, in fact won. On October 25, the deadline for Tikhanovskaya's ultimatum for Lukashenko's resignation expired. The opposition said it would organize a nationwide strike if the demands were not met by October 25. However, Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko said on October 27 the opposition plan had failed.
