In Alexander Lukashenko's Belarus, helping to defend Ukraine against Russia gets you labeled as a terrorist.
Vasil Verameichyk, a Belarusian who enlisted in Ukraine's Armed Forces just four days after Russia launched its all-out war, was detained on Nov. 13 in Vietnam in a suspected covert operation by Belarusian secret services. He was extradited to Belarus the next day.
Verameichyk had previously served in the Kastus Kalinouski Regiment, which is comprised of Belarusian volunteers who fight for Ukraine. For this, Belarusian state-controlled media described him as a "wanted member of a terrorist organization."
Minsk, though not directly participating in Russia's war, has aligned itself with Moscow. At the same time, it has escalated repression against pro-democracy Belarusians, both domestically and abroad, who stand in solidarity with Kyiv.
Verameichyk is faced with at least 20 years in prison if convicted. His Belarusian brothers-in-arms, still serving in Ukraine, are hoping to rally Kyiv to do whatever they can to secure his release — as they would for any Ukrainian soldier — before his time runs out.
"Vasil could even be punished by death for his military service in Ukraine," Andrei Kushnerau, another Belarusian-born soldier who is currently serving in the Da Vinci Wolves Battalion, told the Kyiv Independent.
"Something needs to be done to guarantee his safety — and quickly."
'Proactive and courageous'
Verameichyk's time in combat was curtailed by injury in April 2022, but not before the 30-year-old fought in several battles. During his military service in Ukraine, he fought to defend Irpin and Bucha in Kyiv Oblast, as well as Sievierodonetsk in Luhansk Oblast, against advancing Russian forces.
Verameichyk also received a medal from Ukraine's military intelligence for helping orchestrate the evacuation of over 60 Ukrainian soldiers from encirclement near Oleksandrivka in Mykolaiv Oblast.
"Vasil has always been proactive and courageous, never shying away from danger," Kushnerau said, who served alongside Verameichyk. "He is a promising soldier and opposition politician."
"Vasil has always been proactive and courageous, never shying away from danger."
After returning from a trip abroad to visit family, Verameichyk was reportedly banned from reentering Ukraine in September 2022. The ban, which extends until 2025, was allegedly the result of a personal conflict with a staff officer in the Kastus Kalinouski Regiment.
"But Vasil constantly tried to (find a way to) return to the front line and join a different unit," Kushernau, who is also the founder of the Association of Belarusian Volunteers, said.
He ultimately ended up traveling to Lithuania, a key refuge for many of the over 500,000 Belarusians who fled the country following the post-2020 crackdowns.
Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Lithuanian government has grown increasingly adverse toward the number of Belarusians in the country. In 2023, a draft law that saw newly-arrived Russians prohibited from obtaining Lithuanian citizenship, owning property, applying for visas, or extending their residence permit was nearly extended to include Belarusians, narrowly averted by public opposition.
Additionally, Belarusians, like Russians, have been asked to disclose their past affiliations and their views on topics such as the annexation of Crimea to "prove" they do not pose threats to Lithuanian national security.
This policy turn has made the situation for Belarusian exiles in Lithuania increasingly difficult.
The leading figures of the Belarusian exile, who have been based primarily out of Lithuania, have been forced to navigate a delicate political landscape as a result. Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, in her online call to action to save Verameichyk, did not mention that Lithuania made the possibility for him to remain in Europe impossible for the immediate future.
Lithuania imposed a 30-month entry ban to the EU and Schengen Area on Verameichyk for "national security threat" in July 2023, citing Verameichyk's military service in Belarus during his youth as the reason.
Kushnerau described the decision as a "complete oversight of Verameichyk's service to defend Ukrainian sovereignty" in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war.
The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry declined the Kyiv Independent's request for comment on the matter, citing that Verameichyk's case was "the jurisdiction of the migration department of the Interior Ministry," but acknowledged that it was following the case.
"Supporting Belarusian democratic forces and civil society remains one of the Lithuanian government's foreign policy priorities. Lithuania had been providing shelter for those fleeing repressions," the ministry said in its statement. "This support shall be continued."
The Lithuanian Interior Ministry did not reply to the Kyiv Independent's request for comment by the time of this article's publication.
Yet, Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite told Lithuanian Media outlet LRT on Nov. 22 that the State Security Department had decided to label him a "threat to national security."
The Lithuanian State Security Department also did not reply to the Kyiv Independent's request for comment by the time of this article's publication.
Belarusian citizens abroad face limited visa-free travel options, and their ability to secure long-term residency in a foreign country became even more challenging in September 2023 when Lukashenko's regime prohibited the renewal of passports at Belarusian embassies abroad.
Unable to remain in Lithuania or travel to any of the countries in the Schengen Area, Verameichyk eventually made his way to Vietnam, where Belarusian security services were lying in wait.
In need of a solution
Belarusian soldiers fighting on the side of Ukraine are hoping Kyiv will facilitate Verameichyk's inclusion on the prisoner exchange list, according to Kushnerau, given Verameichyk's prior military service in Ukraine.
They are also considering petitioning Kyiv to negotiate a swap with Minsk that would see Verameichyk exchanged for Yevhen Shevchenko, a Ukrainian politician ousted from President Volodymyr Zelensky's Servant of the People Party in 2021 after meeting with Lukashenko.
Shevchenko is believed to have established ties with the Belarusian regime. He was detained by Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) in mid-November on suspicion of treason after negative public comments he made about the war.
"We don't have many other options (to get Verameichyk out of Belarus)," Kushnerau said.
The President's Office did not respond to the Kyiv Independent's request for comment on either potential exchange scenario.
More than 1,300 Belarusians have fought for Ukraine, and at least 60 have been killed since 2014. Verameichyk is not the first Belarusian volunteer among them to face issues with Russia-linked authorities for his military service in Ukraine.
Yan Dziurbeika, who also served in the Kastus Kalinouski Regiment, faces charges from prosecutors in Russian-occupied Donetsk Oblast for being a "mercenary" fighting in Ukraine between February and July 2022. Dziurbeika, along with fellow Belarusian fighter Siarhei Dzyohtseu, was captured by Russian forces in July 2022.
If convicted, Dziurbeika faces seven to 15 years in prison.
Verameichyk's extradition to Belarus is part of what appears to be a growing trend of Moscow-allied countries being ready to extradite foreigners who fought for Ukraine, putting those fighting for the country at risk not only during their military service but also after it ends.
Alexander Ante and Jose Aron Medina, two Colombian men who served in Ukraine's International Legion, were detained by Venezuelan authorities at the end of August during a layover in Caracas at the request of Russia's Security Service, the FSB.
Ante and Medina are currently being held in custody in Russia — they face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
If Belarusian state-controlled media is any indication, the security services will only continue their targeting of Belarusian soldiers fighting alongside Ukrainians against Russia.
The head of the security service's investigative department, Konstantin Bychyk, was featured in a recent propaganda film that included Verameichyk. After footage was shown of Verameichyk being taken away in cable ties on the tarmac of Minsk Airport, Bychyk declared that pro-Ukrainian Belarusian soldiers "should live with the knowledge that Belarus will find them, no matter where they are in the world."
The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek
Note from the author:
Hi, this is Kate Tsurkan. Thank you for taking the time to read this article. The Belarusian people's struggle for a better future is ongoing, especially as the Lukashenko regime continues to target innocent individuals. We must also remember amid all this the many Belarusian soldiers risking their lives to defend Ukraine against Russian aggression—they don't get enough coverage but deserve our recognition and support. If you found this story important please consider supporting our reporting.
