Russia and Belarus Plot Attacks on Belarusians in Lithuania, Intelligence Report Says
Russia and Belarus have been plotting attacks against the Belarusian diaspora in Lithuania since 2023, aiming to stoke ethnic tensions and disrupt the exiled Belarusian opposition, the country’s intelligence agency said.
Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians fled their country in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, which handed the Moscow-allied Alexander Lukashenko a sixth term in office despite widespread allegations of vote fraud.
The election result triggered mass protests that were met with a violent crackdown by security forces.
Around 62,000 Belarusians settled in Lithuania, including opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who is widely believed to have defeated Lukashenko in the 2020 election.
Since 2022, she has led the United Transitional Cabinet, which acts as the Belarusian government in exile.
On Wednesday, Lithuania’s State Security Department (VSD) reported that since 2023, Russian and Belarusian operatives have been conducting covert actions targeting the Belarusian community in the Baltic country.
According to the agency, these operations aim to sow ethnic discord, instill insecurity among Belarusians and depict Lithuania as a xenophobic state.
‘Litvins are coming, Litvins are already here’
The campaign began with threatening letters and fabricated videos shared on social media by individuals claiming to support Litvinism, a nationalist movement that emerged in the late 20th century. Litvinism claims that the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, a multi-ethnic state that existed from the 13th century until its dissolution in 1795, was, in fact, a Belarusian state.
The agency added that Lithuanian politicians and public figures received threatening messages allegedly sent by Litvinist supporters or members of the Belarusian diaspora.
By spring 2024, provocations moved into the public sphere, with posters bearing Litvinist slogans such as “Vilnius is ours!” appearing in various locations, along with messages like “Litvins are coming, Litvins are already here.”
At the same time, graffiti targeting Belarus’s democratic opposition and diaspora also emerged. In one case, “Tsikhanouskaya, get out of the city” was spray-painted on the wall of the European Humanities University in Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital.
“The organizers of the operation are trying to simulate the activity of two opposing forces – Belarusians promoting the ideology of ‘Litvinism’ and alleged Lithuanian groups fighting against them,” the VSD said in a statement.
The agency warned that the operations have grown increasingly dangerous, with documented attempts to assault members of the Belarusian community physically.
It added that perpetrators are often recruited from Russian-speaking communities in Lithuania via popular Telegram channels and other social media platforms.
“Orders are typically communicated in Russian or English, and the Lithuanian texts they provide are often disjointed and unnatural.
“Often, the organizers present themselves as members of the Belarusian diaspora or claim ties to the Belarusian opposition,” the VSD said.
The agency stressed that Russian and Belarusian intelligence operations in Lithuania remain aggressive and urged citizens not to fall for provocations.
Source: Tvp World