January 8, Pozirk. On January 28, the Minsk City Court will open a trial against five Belarusian volunteers of the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment (KKR), which fights Russia alongside Ukrainian forces, without the defendants being present, the Viasna Human Rights Center reports.
The group includes Vadzim Kabančuk, the regiment’s former deputy commander who now represents the opposition tansitional cabinet on defense and security issues; Alaksiej Kavalčuk, an assault trooper at the Vołat unit; regiment instructor Alaksiej Nazaraŭ; former Commander Dzianis Procharaŭ; and Pavieł Šurmiej, a member of the command.
Charges against them range from incitement to hatred and conspiracy to overthrow the government to extremism and terrorism.
In March 2022, shortly after Moscow staged an offensive on Kyiv, Belarusian volunteers formed the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Battalion, which soon joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) and grew into a regiment.
Alaksandar Łukašenka’s regime declared the unit a terrorist and extremist group.
