Self-exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya has called on the Belarusian public and international community to "be prepared for every scenario" as Minsk and state media have avoided coverage of rumors that Belarusian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka is ill.
"There are many rumors about the dictator Lukashenka's health," Tsikhanouskaya, a prominent Lukashenka critic and political opponent, wrote on Twitter on May 15. "For us it means only one thing: we should be well prepared for every scenario. To turn Belarus on the path to democracy and to prevent Russia from interfering. We need the international community to be proactive and fast."
There are many rumors about the dictator Lukashenka%27s health. For us, it means only one thing: we should be well prepared for every scenario. To turn Belarus on the path to democracy & to prevent Russia from interfering. We need the international community to be proactive & fast. pic.twitter.com/qfnsnPYBMZ
— Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (@Tsihanouskaya) May 15, 2023
The comments by Tsikhanouskaya, who has claimed that Lukashenka stole victory from her in Belarus's presidential election in 2020, come as speculation has risen that the long-serving authoritarian leader is ill.
Meanwhile, the BelTA state news agency in Belarus reported on May 15 that Lukashenka is visiting the central command point of the country's air forces, where is being briefed on the operations of anti-aircraft defense units.
The Telegram channel of Lukashenka’s press service, Pul Pervogo, also reported on Lukashenka's visit to the air force central command point and published a photo of him listening to a report of a military officer on a road surrounded by a thick forest. In the still photo, his left hand appears to be bandaged similarly to how it was last week when he was one of the few leaders in attendance for Russia's Victory Day parade in Moscow. Lukashenka looked unwell at that appearance.
More than two hours later, Pul Pervogo Telegram channel issued a video showing Lukashenka sitting in a room filled with military personnel talking about Belarusian troops being in alert mode after several Russian military aircraft crashed in the Bryansk region near the Ukrainian border last weekend. Lukashenka's voice on the video sounded husky and tired.
Lukashenka has not been seen in public since May 9, when he attended Victory Day celebrations in Moscow and Minsk but skipped a lunch hosted by his close ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On May 14, he did not appear at a ceremony in the Belarusian capital to mark the country's National Flag, Coat of Arms, and Anthem Day. Belarusian Prime Minister Raman Halouchanka read a speech on Lukashenka's behalf during the festivities.
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Lukashenka, 68, has also failed to attend other public events over the past three weeks, but there has been no official statement regarding his health or the reasons for his absences. Lukashenka's press service has said only that he continues to work "with documents."
On May 15, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that it is best to follow official statements from the Belarusian authorities regarding rumors of Lukashenka's ill health.
But Belarusian state media appears to be avoiding the topic, reporting mostly about Lukashenka's previous activities. In a report about National Flag, Coat of Arms, and Anthem Day, the state TV channel ANT featured snippets from Lukashenka's address to the Security Council on February 28.
On May 15, the state TV channel BT-1 did not cover Lukashenka's rumored illness and ran segments on the opening of a trade facility in Moscow and the results of the Turkish presidential election.
Other state TV programs limited images of Lukashenka to his trip to Moscow on May 9, while the state news agency BelTA featured an article on his "symbolic week," including his laying of a wreath at the Victory Day monument in Minsk following his return from Moscow and his positive reply to an invitation to attend a UN event in September.
Outside media that cover Belarus, meanwhile, reported on May 13 that Lukashenka had arrived at the Republican Clinical Medical Center in Minsk. Roads to the hospital were reportedly blocked as his motorcade approached, and security forces stood along the route.
Lukashenka has been in power since 1994. He was handed a fifth consecutive term in office by Belarus's election commission following the 2020 election, leading to mass protests and claims by Tsikhanouskaya and other opposition leaders that the election was rigged.
Lukashenka's security forces went on to brutally crack down on the mass protests for months, jailing opposition figures and driving others, including Tsikhanouskaya, into exile.
The authoritarian leader subsequently backed Putin in Russia's war against Ukraine, allowing Russian forces to use Belarusian territory as a staging ground for Russia's intervention.