MINSK, 30 July (BelTA) – Belarus is virtually in the stage of repulsing hybrid aggression of the collective West. Chairman of the State Security Committee of Belarus Ivan Tertel made the statement as Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko met with government officials on 30 July to discuss urgent issues of the public and political situation, BelTA has learned.
Ivan Tertel said: “Evaluating the state of the domestic political situation and the international situation around our country, the State Security Committee states that despite external calm and the absence of attempts to organize mass riots since April, we are now virtually in the stage of repulsing hybrid aggression of the collective West.”
In his words, foiled attempts to stage a coup in H2 2020 and the resumption of protest actions in spring 2021 have evolved into the stage of economic choking and the formation of conditions for splitting the state system. “Policy-shaping circles of the West are considering various options for deposing the Belarusian government as a necessary condition for securing their geopolitical interests in Eastern Europe. The use of military force is one of the options,” the KGB chief noted. “Current peculiarities include: the situation in worker collectives at major state enterprises is being examined, attempts are being made to form a core of activists, who will inspire mass strikes in unfavorable economic conditions. The main events are realized by means of the so-called worker movement. An extremist organization with its center in Warsaw and a political emigrant body based in Vilnius are in charge of implementation. We've noticed such intentions focusing on Grodno-Azot, BMZ, Belaruskali, Naftan, BelAZ, Gomselmash, MAZ, MTZ, and other enterprises.”
Ivan Tertel noted that subversive centers made up of workers of these enterprises are intent on gathering information about the operation of these enterprises in conditions of sanctions, information about foreign partners of these enterprises for the sake of putting pressure on them. The subversive centers also collect incriminating evidence concerning executives of various levels.
The KGB chief went on saying: “Our opponents intend to start an active phase in September-October 2021 or in H1 2022 provided living standards of the population decrease substantially due to the sanctions. The artificial creation of so-called triggers, which can blow up the situation in the country, is on the agenda of the conglomerate of foreign intelligence services that opposes us and the fugitive immigrants they work with. Terrorist attacks and intimidating actions against public and state figures, representatives of mass media, law enforcement bodies, and the judiciary establishment can be such triggers. Subversive actions may be staged at defense industry facilities, economy and life support installations to produce mass casualties with authorities being blamed for such actions.”
As examples the KGB chief mentioned events of the last few months – attempts to kill the TV host Grigory Azarenok, set on fire the house of the MP Oleg Gaidukevich, and blow up a Russian military installation in Vileika. “We've found out that these crimes were organized by individuals staying in Germany, USA, Lithuania, and Ukraine. Unfortunately, we don't see that foreign partners are intent on fighting this international evil. The KGB has reliable data confirming that foreign parties are planning a number of similar actions to be held in Minsk and the oblast, in Grodno Oblast, and Brest Oblast. We know the masterminds and executors. Work to document and stop their criminal activities is in progress. We will give details to the general public in due course,” the official explained.
The KGB chairman added that intelligence services of several Western countries are aware of the terrorists' plans, however, they take no measures to localize them in their territory. “Information and psychological operations centers of Poland, Baltic states, and Ukraine with assistance of the USA have stepped up actions to influence the information space of the Republic of Belarus as part of the concept meant to isolate the government. They use so-called independent mass media. Plans are being realized to create major anti-Belarusian information hubs in Kiev and Vilnius,” he stated.
Cyber-attacks are simultaneously staged against the infrastructure of the government and the law enforcement branch. The promotion of so-called soft power is emphasized. Experts of Western intelligence agencies believe that the effective work of pseudo human rights, cultural, and educational organizations and foundations in Belarus will enable conditions for dismantling the Belarusian state by means of influencing the young generation over the course of five to ten years at most. “I have to admit that they reached many intermediate goals in this line of work in the past decades,” Ivan Tertel stated. Over 1,500 public organizations and foundations have operated in Belarus up till recently. Of them 185 were fully controlled and financed by foreign countries for destructive purposes, the KGB chief stated.
Ivan Tertel went on saying: “It is necessary to understand that highly trained professionals play the long-term game with us. They have huge resources, sophisticated and tested technologies designed to destroy the independent countries that inconvenience them. They are not accustomed to losing. Last year's events among other things indicated that one can successfully counteract them only by resolutely defending national interests at all levels of the power vertical without compromises. It is extremely important to stay vigilant, not to be self-complacent because our opponents will see it as a chance for revenge.”
