Pursuit of Minsk's clandestine operations targeting Belarusian dissidents abroad
In recent years, the Belarusian regime under President Alexander Lukashenko has been accused of employing covert intelligence operations and direct intimidation tactics to control dissidents not only within the country but also abroad.
One such case is that of Angelika Melnikova, a Polish national who served as the head of the Coordination Council, an exile parliament, before her mysterious disappearance in 2025. Melnikova was last known to be in London with her two daughters, then in Sri Lanka and Dubai before vanishing. Aliaksandr Azarau, founder of Bypol, suspects a regime trap regarding Melnikova's disappearance.
The Belarusian regime's tactics to infiltrate and control dissidents abroad are as diverse as they are chilling. Evidence suggests that the regime has planned assassinations and poisonings of dissidents, as revealed by audio recordings from 2012 discussing assassinations by planting bombs or poisoning to disguise killings as natural causes.
Another tactic is the hijacking and forced landing of flights, as demonstrated by the 2021 Ryanair Flight 4978 hijacking, orchestrated by Lukashenko to arrest opposition journalist Roman Protasevich.
The regime also restricts the travel of exiled Belarusians by denying passport renewals, effectively leaving dissidents legally stranded. This is a form of control and repression on foreign soil.
Belarusian authorities apply pressure not only inside the country but extend harassment and legal actions internationally. This includes surveillance, threats, and psychological pressure meant to isolate dissidents and prevent the formation of effective opposition networks abroad.
Although there are no explicit references to Belarus using "kompromat" (compromising material), this technique is likely paralleled by the regime's covert strategies to compromise and manipulate opposition figures based on their close ties.
Melnikova received a series of threatening messages on Telegram in April 2024, typical of the regime's intimidation tactics. Stanislav Luponosov, a former policeman who fled to Warsaw, remembers Yury Kiziuk, who was actually an agent of the Belarusian military intelligence (GRU) and was promoted to the GRU in 2019.
In August 2023, Melnikova went on vacation to Cuba with Alexei Lobev, a proven KGB agent, according to cyber activists. This raises questions about Melnikova's association with known regime agents and the potential for blackmail.
The KGB relies on a Machiavellian modus operandi, mixing blackmail and coercion to ensnare its exiled prey. Ales Krot, a Belarusian dissident, was interrogated by Major Alexander in a KGB building in Minsk in October 2023. Ales was offered a choice: prison or collaboration. He chose the latter and pretended to repent.
Among the exiles, an atmosphere of mistrust sets in due to fears of being photographed and recognized by the regime. After serving a prison sentence in 2024, Daria Ostapenko, who posed as a political refugee, was actually working for the Belarusian KGB. She was exposed and arrested after confessing to her friends under the influence of alcohol.
The Belarusian regime's infiltration and control efforts have also extended to neighbouring countries like Ukraine, working in concert with those of Putin. The anonymous correspondent in the messages mentioned one of Melnikova's friends by name for potential blackmail.
After the fraudulent election of the Belarusian president on August 9, 2020, Ales joined the popular revolt against Lukashenko. In early December 2023, Ales, reluctant to spy, plans his escape and reveals everything publicly in a Warsaw café.
Since October 2021, the Belarusian regime has intensified its KGB's external operations to infiltrate exiled dissent structures in Poland and Lithuania. The disappearance of Angelika Melnikova in February 2025 adds to the growing concerns about the regime's tactics and its reach beyond Belarusian borders.
- The Belarusian regime's political tactics against dissidents extend beyond the borders of Belarus, as evidenced by the mysterious disappearance of Angelika Melnikova, a Polish national who was last known to be in London, Sri Lanka, and Dubai before vanishing.
- Evidence suggests that the regime has employed a diverse range of chilling strategies to control opposing voices, including the deployment of known regime agents for blackmail and compromising material, as in the case of Angelika Melnikova's potential association with Alexei Lobev, a proven KGB agent, during her vacation to Cuba.
