Belarus Conducts Special Op to Free Its Citizens in Ukraine, Lukashenko Says

The Belorussian president told the head of the country's State Security Committee to hand state awards to everyone who was involved in the operation.

Belarus has conducted a special operation to free its citizens in Ukraine, President Alexander Lukashenko said, as quoted by the Belta news agency.

"Things got to the point that those bastards started taking our people hostage there, first of all truck drivers who happened to be there at the time. They arrested 1,500 of our railcars, seized our vehicles and up to 100 of our drivers. I warned the Ukrainians that we will have to carry out an operation to free our people, and this is what we did", Lukashenko said, as cited by Belta.

The president did not go into details, but instructed the chairman of the State Security Committee to give awards to everyone who was involved in the special operation.

Lukashenko also said that the operation was flawless, adding that if more Belarusians happen to remain hostage in Ukraine, Minsk will respond differently.

Belarus is Russia's closest ally, with the presidents of the two countries constantly in contact with each other as Russia's special military operation in Ukraine continues. Earlier this month, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that an attack on Belarus would equal to an attack on Russia since the two countries form a Union State and are also members of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO).