Armed People Break Into Yandex's Office in Minsk

The Bell reported earlier in the day, citing a source, that unidentified armed people wearing black clothes had entered a Yandex office in Minsk. The office is now blocked, there are several people inside, according to the outlet.

Yandex has confirmed reports about armed people breaking into the company's office in Minsk, adding that it is currently clarifying the details. Yandex N.V. is a Russian multinational corporation specialising in Internet-related products and services. According to our correspondent, the armed people have left the office.

The Investigative Committee and the Department of Financial Investigations of the State Control Committee of Belarus have denied searches at the Minsk offices of Yandex and Uber. 

According to a source in the company, there were only several people in the office, as most of the staff are working remotely. The source also said that the armed individuals haven't informed the firm about their demands.

In the meantime, Uber's partner in Belarus hasn't confirmed or denied the information about searches at the company's office in Minsk. It is clarifying the situation at present.

The internet company’s office is located on Dzerzhinsky Avenue, far from the city centre, where the main clashes between protesters and security officials recently took place.

Mass protests have been sweeping Belarus since the evening of 9 August when the first election results showed incumbent president, Alexander Lukashenko, securing his sixth term with over 80 percent of the vote, and the opposition challenged the outcome.

On 12 August, around 700 people were detained in Belarus for taking part in unauthorised rallies, the Interior Ministry said, slamming protesters for acting aggressively. Some protesters threw bottles in the direction of the special forces after the latter fired warning shots with pump-action guns.