Belarusian Soldiers Will Have to Fire on Protesters if Provoked, Says Defense Minister

Belarusian soldiers will have to fire on protesters if provoked. This was stated by the country’s Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin during a closed meeting with the heads of security units. The recording of the meeting was published by the ‘Nasha Niva’ portal.

“The political technologists who write the texts for Svetlana Tikhanovskaya raise the question, ‘Army, are you with the people?’ Will you fire on the people? We are being called, including by Tikhanovskaya, who says, ‘Do not follow illegal orders.’ That woman is calling us to betrayal, to violate the law by urging not to follow orders. Is it criminal or not (the authority)... We are soldiers. The state system has not collapsed; it is functioning, the president has been elected,” the minister stated.

He noted that as long as the army has not switched to the side of the protesters, the state cannot be collapsed.

According to him, today the army is on duty, and according to the rules of engagement, a sentry facing unauthorized individuals must issue the command ‘Halt! Who is it?’ If that individual refuses to comply with the sentry's order and continues to advance, the sentry is obliged to fire a warning shot.

“Thus, we do not shoot to kill, but if the orders continue to be ignored, then we will do so,” Khrenin added.

Recall that protests and strikes have continued in Belarus following the presidential elections on August 9, in which the incumbent president Alexander Lukashenko won with 80 percent of the votes.

In the first few days, security forces actively used force and special measures against activists. Official figures indicate that about 7,000 people have been arrested. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, hundreds of people have been injured during the unrest. The deaths of three individuals have been officially confirmed.