愛污传媒

Skip to main content

Border checks between Russia and Belarus are back for the first time in 28 years

Share
TALLINN, Estonia -

Belarus, one of Russia's closest allies, has partially restored controls on its border with its neighbour, Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergei Aleinik said Wednesday.

This is the first time in 28 years that there have been checks at the 1,239-kilometre (770-mile) border.

According to Aleinik, the introduction of border controls aimed to avoid the entry of third-country nationals into Belarus, ahead of the implementation of an intergovernmental agreement on the mutual recognition of visas.

However, human rights activists think the border checks will target Russian men trying to avoid mobilization into the Russian army.

Aleinik said that checks on people crossing the Belarusian-Russian border are carried out by Belarusian border guards in close cooperation with their Russian counterparts. 鈥淚t's not really control, it's more like monitoring the situation on the border,鈥 Aleinik told reporters in Moscow.

In 1995, all border controls between Russia and Belarus were removed. Russia and Belarus have an alliance agreement under which the Kremlin subsidizes the Belarusian economy, via loans and discounted Russian oil and gas. Russia has previously used Belarus, an economically dependent ally, as a springboard to send troops and missiles into the war in Ukraine.

Checks by the Belarusian border service began May 5, but Belarusian authorities did not comment on this development until Wednesday.

Also Wednesday, Russian Minister for Digital Development Maksut Shadayev said that a unified database of persons eligible for military service should be in place in time for the autumn draft, along with the introduction of electronic summonses.

Under Russia's new rules, signed into law last month, anyone served an electronic summons is banned from leaving the country before appearing at an enlistment office.

Thousands of Russians have fled to Belarus to escape mobilization and persecution in Russia after the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022. In one such case, after he was sentenced to two years in prison after his daughter drew an 鈥渁nti-war鈥 picture in school, Alexei Moskalyov fled from Russia to Belarus. He was detained in Minsk in March and later extradited to Russia.

鈥(Belarusian President Alexander) Lukashenko responds to any threats, including sabotage, with increased control, which is also beneficial for Russia, which seeks to limit the ability to leave the country for those who try to avoid mobilization and participation in the war with Ukraine,鈥 said Pavel Sapelko of the Belarusian human rights centre Viasna.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

BREAKING

BREAKING

Four people are dead and another is in hospital following a fiery crash in downtown Toronto that happened overnight on Lake Shore Boulevard.

The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.

BREAKING

BREAKING

Quebec鈥檚 Bureau of Independent Investigations (BEI) is investigating after police in Gatineau, Que. shot and killed a man who allegedly stabbed an officer during an investigation.

Local Spotlight

He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.

The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that 鈥 and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.