Democratically Elected President of Belarus Honors Belarusian Volunteers in Ukraine

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya awarded medals to Belarusian volunteers fighting alongside the Ukrainian military during her visit to Kyiv.

She shared the news on Telegram and published a video from the ceremony.

Those honored included soldiers of the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment.

Tsikhanouskaya said every contribution to Ukraine’s fight for freedom matters, adding that a free and independent Ukraine also means a free and independent Belarus.

During the event, participants sang the anthem and held a minute of silence to honor those killed in the Russia-Ukraine war.

According to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, 90 Belarusian volunteers fighting alongside Ukraine against Russian forces have been killed since the start of the war.

She arrived in Kyiv on May 25 and later met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. Ahead of the visit, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya stated that she wanted to discuss with the Ukrainian authorities the problems faced by Belarusians living and fighting in Ukraine.

The Belarusian opposition leader stressed that a Ukrainian victory could open a “window of opportunity” for Belarus and also spoke out against easing European sanctions on the Lukashenko regime.

Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment

The unit was formed at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in March 2022 to help defend Kyiv. At the time, a battalion was created from members of the Belarus tactical group, participants of White Legion and Young Front, as well as other Belarusian volunteers.

The regiment was named after Kastuś Kalinoŭski, one of the leaders of the national liberation uprising of Belarusians, Poles, Lithuanians, and Ukrainians, and a national hero of Belarus.

By May 2022, the battalion had been expanded into a regiment. The Belarusian regiment also came to include the Litvin and Volat battalions.

In January 2023, it was announced that a mechanized unit had been formed within the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment. The unit was equipped with captured Russian armored vehicles.