Alexander Lukashenko has effectively ceded control to Kremlin, say opposition

Tsikhanouskaya and her fellow campaigners, many of whom have been jailed or silenced, now have a twin mission: oppose the regime in Minsk and mobilise Belarusians to oppose, and even sabotage, the Ukraine war via a campaign of civil disobedience.

Forced to seek refuge in Lithuania after standing against Lukashenko in presidential elections in August 2020, which were rigged in his favour, Tsikhanouskaya, a former teacher, now calls herself the legitimate leader of Belarus. European governments have refused to recognise Lukashenko as president since 2020.

The EU last week imposed sweeping new sanctions against individuals with links to the Belarus regime, as well as banning most industrial exports, including potash and fertiliser. But Tsikhanouskaya said remaining loopholes must be filled, even if that causes pain for ordinary Belarus citizens.

News of the Russian attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant evoked disturbing personal memories for Tsikhanouskaya. She grew up in a region of Belarus that suffered radioactive fallout from the Chernobyl disaster of 1986.