November 12, Pozirk. Juryj Kiziuk and Michaił Pavietka of the Belarusian defense ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate have been working as Minsk’s undercover agents in Poland, collecting information on exiled Belarusian opposition, the Belarusian Investigative Center (BIC) reported.
The BRC uncovered their activities in cooperation with Alliance of Investigators and Poland’s Rzeczpospolita with assistance from the Cyberpartisans hacktivist group.
Kiziuk reportedly used the name of Dźmitryj Pratasievič, while Pavietka posed as Maksim Kandratovič. Both are alumni of the interior ministry’s academy.
Pavietka used to work at the Military Commandant’s Office in Minsk before entering the intelligence service, while Kiziuk served as a senior economic police officer in Navahrudak, Hrodna region. Four years ago, both infiltrated the Belarusian opposition and volunteer initiatives and set up a company in Poland.
In early 2021, Pavietka aka Pratasievič applied to join the opposition Razam party’s organizing committee. Its coordinator Ivan Kraŭcoŭ confirmed that a presumed agent attended one the meetings in Warsaw in 2021 and later participated in an online educational project but denied his further involvement in the committee’s activities or access to internal data.
The Warsaw-based opposition National Anti-Crisis Management told the BIC that it was aware of the agents’ infiltration. “This case is already being handled by the Polish authorities. It might be best to avoid publicity at this stage, as it could impact their work,” the group noted.
Over the past few years, Minsk’s agents expanded their activities in Poland, a top destination for opposition activists and Belarusians fleeing politically-motivated reprisals at home.
