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A priest from Lithuania was detained in Belarus during a church service

UA NEWS 09 June 2026 11:50
A priest from Lithuania was detained in Belarus during a church service

In Belarus, law enforcement officers detained a Lithuanian priest of the Old Believer Church while he was conducting a religious service. Local and Lithuanian media have reported on the incident. The circumstances of the detention and the reasons for the security forces’ actions are currently being investigated. It is known that the priest was in the country conducting a religious service when law enforcement officers arrived at the church.

According to a source, the incident occurred in the village of Kuklyany in the Pastavy District of Belarus.

"He was conducting a service when the police arrived and arrested him," he said.

The priest, identified as M. R., was detained during the service while he was in Belarus to participate in local community events.

According to reports, the detention is linked to allegations of “document forgery” during an attempt to register a religious community.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Lithuanian Embassy in Belarus had been informed of the detention but could not disclose the identity of the detainee.

This was reported to LRT by a well-informed source.
 

Belarus has restricted access to forests near the border with Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia is attempting to draw Belarus deeper into the war against Ukraine and is considering new scenarios for aggression from its territory.

Belarus’s self-proclaimed president, Alexander Lukashenko, held a meeting on military equipment and announced the preparation of a new state armament program for 2026–2030.

Belarus continues to build infrastructure facilities deep within its territory and is not moving them closer to the Ukrainian border. At the same time, it cannot be ruled out that Russia may use these facilities in the future to deploy additional forces and equipment.

 

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