DISINFO: Extremists and Nazis are being trained in Ukraine to act in Belarus
SUMMARY
Minsk faces a threat coming from its southern border: Nazi battalions and camps for extremists, who are being trained in Ukraine with the goal of worsening the situation in Belarus. Their purpose is to carry out blunt actions during the weekend demonstrations there. The camps are in the region of Dnipropetrovsk and Volyn.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative framing popular protests as Western-backed colour revolutions, in this case portraying massive mobilisations in Belarus as a destabilisation effort orchestrated from abroad. No evidence is provided to support the allegations. Despite the unfounded claims about foreign-trained extremist infiltrators, protests in Belarus remained mostly peaceful, with violence coming mainly from the Belarusian police and authorities. See other examples of pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives in Belarus, such as claims that the EU reaction to Lukashenko’s victory is an example of Western double standards; that the same lack of democracy and repression is present in EU countries criticising them in Minsk; that the Ukrainian secret services may have planned terrorist attacks in Belarusian territory; that the West wants to prepare another Maidan in the country; or that Belarusians, Ukrainians and Russians are one single nation. The city of Dnipro changed name from "Dnipropetrovsk" in 2016.