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| - Belarus has arrested a group of Russian mercenaries allegedly plotting to destabilise the country ahead of next month's presidential election, state media said on Wednesday, citing law enforcement sources. The surprise announcement is the latest twist in an extraordinary election campaign that has seen strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko jail his key would-be rivals ahead of the vote. "Thirty two militants from foreign private military company Wagner were detained" near the capital Minsk, state news agency Belta said, adding that another Russian citizen had been detained at a separate location. The news agency published a list of 33 names of "detained Russian citizens". The arrests came less than two weeks before Belarus holds a tense presidential election on August 9, in which Lukashenko is seeking a sixth term, as public discontent builds over his policies. In the run-up to the vote, Lukashenko has accused some of his critics of being controlled by "puppeteers" in Moscow, while not blaming the Kremlin directly. Belta said the authorities had received information about the arrival of 200 militants in Belarus "to destabilise the situation during the election campaign". The state news agency did not explain where the remaining suspected militants were. They sported "military-style clothing" and carried heavy cases, the news agency added. Belta also said the alleged militants gave themselves away because unlike ordinary Russian tourists, they did not drink. "They did not consume alcohol or visit entertainment venues, they kept to themselves in order not to attract attention," the news agency said. The men stayed at one of the country's health resorts where they "carefully studied" the area, it added. National television showed several Russian passports that allegedly belong to the detained men, as well as stacks of dollar bills, packets of condoms and pieces of paper with Arabic script. Belarusian television also broadcast footage of a group of men who it said arrived in the country on July 25 and a raid on the premises where they were staying. Some of the men were shown lying face down wearing just their underwear. The ex-Soviet country's security service has a history of exposing alleged foreign plots to destabilise the country before major elections. Wednesday's announcement marked the first time such allegations were made against key ally Russia. Moscow did not release an immediate comment. The Russian embassy in Minsk tweeted that the government in Belarus had not notified it about the detention of Russian nationals. Russian author Zakhar Prilepin, who fought alongside Moscow-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, said he knew some of the detained men. "There are several fighters from our battalion," said Prilepin, referring to the list of names released by Belarus. Writing on Facebook, Prilepin suggested that the fighters probably used Belarus as a transit point and were en route to "some other destination," which Belarus "surely knows very well." Unlike Russia, Belarus has kept its borders open during the coronavirus pandemic and operates flights as usual. Russia is Minsk's closest political and economic ally but relations have been strained. In recent years, Lukashenko has been under increasing pressure to inch closer to Russia but the 65-year-old leader has rejected the idea of outright unification with Moscow. Earlier this year, Lukashenko failed to agree a discount with Russia for much-needed oil deliveries. The Wagner group is a shadowy private military firm that is reportedly controlled by an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and promotes Moscow's interests in Ukraine, Syria and Libya. tk-ma/as/jj
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