Belarus expats in Ukraine have formed military unit to join defense against Russian invasion
KYIV, Ukraine Belarusians living in Ukraine have formed a military unit and are preparing to join the fight against Russia.
Jan Derbeiko, 26, said he has been living in Kyiv since November 2020 after being forced to leave Belarus for participating in protests against President Alexander Lukashenka.
I had a job and I had plans for future, but the war happened here, Derbeiko said. At that moment, I decided to stay here. Ive already lost my homeland, and now my new home is being destroyed.
Lukashenka, in power in Minsk nearly since the demise of the Soviet Union in 1991, is widely viewed as having falsified an election result in August 2020, going on to crush the resulting mass demonstrations before pursuing a plan to remain in office till midway through the next decade.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/belarus-expats-in-ukraine-have-formed-military-unit-to-join-defense-against-russian-invasion-01646783015