Belarus Cries ‘Coup D’Etat’ as Possible Prelude to New Crackdown

Belarusian propaganda outlets claim that exiled opposition forces are preparing a coup d’etat against the regime of Alexander Lukashenko to take place next month.

This follows Belarusian state TV channel Belta reporting on Nov. 20 that the “fugitive opposition” has plans to attack four southwestern regions of the country with an initial assault involving “bands of nationalists” supported by foreign mercenaries and even NATO forces.

“In Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania, military formations have been created with the support of local authorities,” the initial report claimed. “They are being trained and prepared for the main task. The plans resemble those of fascists.”

The Ukrainian Telegram channel Real War revealed more detailed claims coming from Belarusian propaganda outlets on Monday, which went further than the November claims. It said the rebellion is being instigated “by the hand” of the US, Poland and Ukraine “in the lead roles.”

The Belarusians claim that the plan involves about 3,000 activists being trained in Poland and Lithuania for which funding of $380 million has been provided, although it did not say by whom.

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They say the operation is planned to coincide with the Jan. 26 Belarusian presidential elections and that the opposition has been using around 14,000 bots to spread propaganda and misinformation including calls to mount opposition rallies which, following the inevitable crack down, would be used as the pretext for armed conflict.

The opposition’s aim is supposedly to ensure that Lukashenko suffers the same fate as Syria’s President Assad.

The US believes that the Belarusian claims are in fact a heavy-handed disinformation campaign to empower Belarusian authorities to come down hard on any protests either during or after the election which Lukashenko will undoubtedly “win.”

The US State Department has issued a new travel advisory that calls on its citizens to leave Belarus immediately. It advises those already in the country to steer clear of any mass gatherings, and to minimize their use of electronic devices and social networks. It has also recommended that its citizens prepare a plan for emergency evacuation and communication by registering with the US STEP system.

In a statement, the department said: “Additional closures of checkpoints on the borders of Belarus with Lithuania, Poland, Latvia and Ukraine are possible.”