MINSK, 25 December (BelTA) – Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko mentioned a recent capture of a terrorist cell led by Nikolai Avtukhovich as he visited the Minsk Children's Infectious Diseases Hospital on 25 December, BelTA has learned.
Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “We've recently apprehended Nikolai Avtukhovich's group. Total bastards. We've uncovered all their channels now. They had been smuggling tonnes of weapons from Ukraine. If our guys (I've ordered to present them with state awards right away) didn't nail them, our New Year would be truly merry… Honestly speaking, I'd underestimated him [Nikolai Avtukhovich]. I got a report from the State Security Committee and gave a green light. I'd underestimated him. But since the situation has been thoroughly investigated…”
“They've been preparing to stage terrorist attacks all over the country and have already launched them. This is why they failed. The KGB and police carried out the raid. Well done! Thank god, they've been captured,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
The head of state stressed that the suppression of such illegal activities is closely monitored: "There are several other small bands, too. There are a couple of Belarusians in these bands and some foreigners. They've come here via Ukraine. It is very difficult to get here via Poland or Lithuania now because the border is tightly closed. And the border with Ukraine has been properly closed since then. Things have changed. We now closely monitor the matter."
