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57-585: The Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment (also known as simply Połk Kalinoŭskaha , the Kalinoŭski Regiment or Bel Warriors ), formerly the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Battalion until May 2022 is a group of Belarusian opposition volunteers, which was formed to defend Ukraine against the Russian invasion in 2022. As of March 2022, it was reported that more than a thousand Belarusians have applied to join

114-579: A constitutional referendum on amendments to the 1994 Constitution of Belarus . The Belarusian political system became increasingly authoritarian with the government seeking to curtail all political freedoms. Charter 97 is a human rights group taking its inspiration from the 1997 declaration calling for democracy in Belarus . The document – whose title deliberately echoes the Czechoslovak human rights declaration Charter 77 twenty years earlier –

171-598: A political system which the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) stated is "incompatible with the concept of human rights". On 3 June 1988 the Minsk -based weekly "Litaratura i mastatstva" ("Literature And Art") published an article by archeologists Zianon Pazniak and Yauhen Shmyhalyou about the unearthing of 500 mass graves of Stalinist victims in Kurapaty on the outskirts of

228-558: A battle with the Russian armored group near Lysychansk , Vasyl Grudovik, Vasyl Parfyankov, Vadym Shatrov and Volat Battalion commander, Ivan Marchuk, nom de guerre Brest . Jan "Trombley" Durbeyka and Siarhei "Klesch" Dzogtsev were taken prisoners of war . On 11 July 2022, they were put on the POW exchange list. In September 2022, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus recognized

285-521: A cockroach as in the children's poem " The Monster Cockroach ", referring to a slipper signifying stamping the insect. Many opposition candidates registered for the next election as a result of the movement, but many of them were arrested. Mass protests erupted across Belarus following the 2020 Belarusian presidential election which was marred by allegations of widespread electoral fraud . Subsequently, opposition presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya , Tikhanovsky's wife, claimed she had won

342-629: A free and democratic republic friendly to Ukraine. On 24 June 2023, shortly after the Wagner Group rebellion ended, the Regiment announced that they have "a large number of reserves in Belarus" and urged the Belarusian population to join them in an unspecified future operation to take control of Belarus. Later that day, in a joint statement with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya , the regiment urged

399-547: A policy that required those who work for less than 183 days per year to pay USD$ 250 for "lost taxes" to help fund welfare policies. This converts to approximately Rbls  5 million—a half-month's wages. The law has proven unpopular and has been mocked in the public as the "law against social parasites". On 19 February, another 2,000 demonstrated in the second city of Homieĺ . Both gatherings were peaceful. Smaller demonstrations were held in other cities. On 25 March, opposition leader Vladimir Nekliayev , who

456-460: A series of nationwide strikes and pro-independence rallies against the Soviet authorities and their policies. Falling living standards and unemployment along with Glasnost and Perestroika policies also sparked massive demonstrations and unrest by mostly young people, demanding democracy and leading labour protests across Belarus. In 1990, Belarus held its first competitive parliamentary elections to

513-695: A village 10 km from the city. Lysychansk is located in the North-Western part of the Luhansk region , 115 km from Luhansk , on the high right bank of the Siverskyi Donets River . The area is surrounded by large hills, ravines and valleys. The city is situated on the northern spur of the Donets Ridge . Lysychansk lies in the continental climate of the steppe zone of Ukraine . Water resources stemming from here are one of

570-625: A village serving a chemical plant on the outskirts of Lysychansk, branched off from Lysychansk and became its own independent city. In 1963, the towns of Novodruzhesk and Pryvillia were included in the city limits of Lysychansk and became cities. In 1965, Lysychansk incorporated the settlements of Verkhnie and Proletarske. During the 2014 pro-Russian conflict in Ukraine the town was captured early April 2014 by pro-Russian separatists . It remained under control of separatists for three months, until 22 July 2014 Ukrainian Ukrinform reported that

627-597: Is an unofficial holiday in Belarus celebrated on 25 March to commemorate the declaration of independence by the Belarusian Democratic Republic by the Third Constituent Charter on that date in 1918. The day has been used annually by the Belarusian democracy movement to protest against Alexander Lukashenko since his election. Protests emerged from the Belarusian opposition condemning Lukashenko's support and involvement with

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684-406: The 2020–2021 Belarusian protests — had applied to be members of the battalion, but that vetting and equipping these volunteers had created a backlog that slowed down their deployment. On 16 May, a company commander, identified as Pavel "Volat," was reported to have died during the war in Ukraine. The Belarusian newspaper Nasha Niva stated that Volat was the sixth Belarusian fighter killed since

741-507: The Kyiv offensive . The following governments have given diplomatic support to the Belarusian democracy movement: Lysychansk Prior to Ukrainian 2020 municipal classification reforms, Lysychansk was incorporated as a city of oblast significance . Up to 2022, the administration of Lysychansk Municipality included the settlements of Novodruzhesk and Pryvillia . Along with the cities of Sievierodonetsk , Rubizhne , Kreminna and

798-468: The Köppen climate classification system. Summers are warm and sometimes humid with average high temperatures of 26–27 °C (79–81 °F) and lows of 14–15 °C (57–59 °F). Winters are relatively cold with average high temperatures of −1 °C (30 °F) and lows of −8 to −6 °C (18 to 21 °F). Spring and autumn are generally chilly to mild. The highest ever temperature recorded in

855-536: The Russian invasion of Ukraine on 27 February 2022, shortly after the war's beginning. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, over 800 people had been detained for involvement within these protests. Activists from the opposition later engaged in activity to support Ukraine in the conflict, including attacks on the Belarusian Railway , a state railroad which had been utilized by Russia to support

912-713: The Russo-Ukrainian War was the Pahonia detachment, founded in 2014 during the war in Donbas . The following year, the tactical group "Belarus" was formed uniting Belarusian volunteers fighting in different battalions The Monument to the Belarusians who died for Ukraine in Kyiv is dedicated to the Belarusian volunteers who died during the Russian-Ukrainian War. On 9 March, the creation of

969-616: The Supreme Soviet , which upon the dissolution of the Soviet Union declared Belarus an independent nation. On 19 June 1994 Belarus held its first presidential election , won by Lukashenko . From 1995 he began to consolidate his power at the expense of the Parliament and other institutions. A series of mass street protests called “Minsk Spring” or “Belarusian Spring” took place in the springs of 1996–97 triggered by

1026-485: The 1930s, industrial growth accelerated. Lysychansk gained city status in 1938. However, this growth was interrupted by Germany 's invasion of the Soviet Union and occupation of the city. Lysychansk suffered massive destruction of infrastructure and hundreds of civilian deaths at the hands of the Germans. Throughout the mid-1960s, Lysychansk's borders were changed. In 1962, the city of Sievierodonetsk , which started as

1083-658: The Belarusian capital. The article was the first publication in Belarus about crimes of the Soviet-era authorities. This was followed in October that year by the establishment of the Martyrology of Belarus to commemorate the victims of communism, and an organizational committee for the creation of the Belarusian Popular Front , which subsequently became an ardent advocate of Belarus's independence from

1140-434: The Belarusian population to "Wait for the signal" for the commencement of an operation to liberate Belarus. On 15 September, the unit published a video of them walking freely and unopposed through the front-line settlement of Klishchiivka stating that all Russian forces had been pushed out of the settlement as part of the 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive prior to any official statement of the village's liberation. As of 2024

1197-590: The Belgian staff. In 2017 these buildings (a gymnasium , a hospital and a range of residential buildings) won the 'Belgian Heritage Abroad Award'. A local newspaper has been published in the city since January 1918. The Russian Civil War (1918–1920) damaged Lysychansk's industry and economy. In 1920, the Bolsheviks nationalized the mines and plants in Lysychansk. By 1925, the economy recovered, and by

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1254-623: The Internet resources of the regiment as an extremist group. In December 2022, the regiment received a BMP-2 armored vehicle, and in January 2023 a captured T-72 tank. The regiment announced the formation of the first mechanized unit. On June 9, 2023, the regiment met with the Verkhovna Rada committee "For a Democratic Belarus" to begin cooperating with Ukrainian officials on toppling the current government of Belarus and establishing

1311-616: The Kastus Kalinouski Regiment. On September 25, 2024, the Supreme Court of Belarus recognized the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment as a terrorist organization. In Rivne , a street was named after Kastuś Kalinoŭski in honor of the Belarusian volunteers. Belarusian opposition The Belarusian opposition consists of groups and individuals in Belarus seeking to challenge, from 1988 to 1991,

1368-618: The Kastuś Kalinoŭski Battalion was announced. The battalion is named after Kastuś Kalinoŭski , a 19th-century Belarusian leader of the 1863 January Uprising against the Russian Empire . It was reported that as of 5 March 2022, about 200 Belarusians had joined the battalion. Their motto is ‘First Ukraine, then Belarus’, indicating the volunteers' wish to also liberate Minsk from the Lukashenko regime. On 13 March,

1425-528: The Soviet Union. On 30 October 1988, riot police in Minsk violently dispersed a mass demonstration to commemorate the victims of Stalinism at Kurapaty – the first of many such clashes in modern Belarusian history. On 24 and 25 June 1989 the Belarusian Popular Front “Revival” ( Belarusian : Адраджэньне ) was formally established with Pazniak as chairman. The 1991 Belarusian Strikes were

1482-428: The authorities of Soviet Belarus , and since 1995, the leader of the country Alexander Lukashenko (allied with Vladimir Putin ), whom supporters of the movement often consider to be a dictator . Supporters of the movement tend to call for a parliamentary democracy based on a Western model , with freedom of speech and political and religious pluralism . The modern Belarusian democracy movement originated in

1539-402: The bridge construction, bombing the bridge and Russian vehicles who already crossed resulting in severe Russian losses. Russia made several such attempts, many of which were neutralized by Ukrainian forces. After the Russian capture of Sievierodenetsk , Lysychansk became the last major city in the Luhansk region under Ukrainian control. On 26 June, TASS reported that Russian forces entered

1596-411: The central railway station (not actual from 2014). As of 2021, the non-central stations are only used for short-destination interurban trains (diesel commuter trains). Lysychansk Central Railway Station has the following train routes: Since the Russo-Ukrainian War , there is no railway route available from Luhanska Oblast to Russian Federation . In most cases, Lysychansk Central Railway Station became

1653-722: The city following its declared annexation of the region in September 2022. In 1721, coal was discovered in the Donets basin near Lisya Balka, a Cossack village established in 1710. In 1795, Lysychansk was the first coal-mining settlement of the Donets basin. Earlier settlements in the area around Lysychansk were completely destroyed by the Muscovy punitive expedition against the Bulavin Rebellion . After suppressing

1710-568: The city from five directions. On 27 June, the CNN reported that civilians in Lysychansk have been urged to leave immediately, as Russian forces gain ground in the city. On 2 July 2022, reports of Ukrainian troops withdrawing from the city and Russian forces moving in were supported by multiple videos from Kadirov's 141st Special Motorized Regiment declaring victory in front of the City Council of Lysychansk. "After heavy fighting for Lysychansk,

1767-587: The city from the pro-Russian separatists. During the Russian invasion of Ukraine , Lysychansk came under heavy shelling from the Russian military. Some of the most intense strikes occurred late in March 2022, which destroyed dozens of buildings and caused civilian casualties. On 9 May 2022, Russian troops attempted to cross over the Seversky Donets river with a temporary pontoon bridge near Bilohorivka . Ukrainian forces anticipated this approach, monitored

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1824-540: The city was 41.0 °C (105.8 °F) in June 1984. The coldest temperature ever recorded in the city was −34.0 °C (−29.2 °F) in February 1954. Annual precipitation is 480 millimetres (19 inches) with moderate rainfall throughout the year. Light snowfall mainly occurs from December through March, but snow cover does not usually remain for long. As of 2006, the ethnic populations were: Before 2010, Lysychansk

1881-510: The city. Most of the buses running in and out of the city start running after 6 am. until 7–9 pm. for different routes. Direct regular bus service is available to other Ukrainian cities, including Donetsk , Kharkiv , Berdiansk , and Mariupol . Lysychansk has a central railway station and three other railway stations: Nasvitevych, Pereizna, Volcheiarska. Almost all transit distance trains stop at Stations Pereizna and Volcheiarska, allowing residents of Southern Lysychansk not to be dependent on

1938-496: The defence forces of Ukraine were forced to withdraw from their occupied positions and lines," the army general staff said. Earlier Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said his forces had captured Lysychansk and taken full control of Luhansk region. Ukraine's troops were outgunned there. Its general staff said that "in order to preserve the lives of Ukrainian defenders, a decision was made to withdraw". (BBC 4 July 2022) On 19 September 2022, Ukrainian troops recaptured Bilohorivka ,

1995-419: The deputy commander of the battalion, nicknamed "Tur" (real name Aliaksiej Skoblia ), was confirmed killed in the Kyiv offensive when his unit was ambushed. On 13 April, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy posthumously awarded Skoblia the title of Hero of Ukraine "for personal courage and heroism in defending the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, loyalty to the military oath." On 25 March, it

2052-541: The final destination for long-destination trains. The nearest airport is located 12 kilometers from the city center, located in Sievierodonetsk . Built in 1968 the airport is to serve residents and workers of the surrounding cities. The airport is administered by the Lysychansk District pipeline OAO Ukrtransnafta . In the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election , Viktor Yanukovych won 92.51% of

2109-444: The government banned assemblies and gatherings. Due to an ongoing economic recession , continuing since the last series of protests in 2015, due to falling gasoline prices, that year a law was passed taxing the unemployed. Roughly 470,000 Belarusians are obliged to pay the tax but only about 10% have since it was issued. Approximately 2,500 protesters filled the streets in the capital of Belarus, Minsk , on 17 February to protest

2166-470: The impending implementation of the Union State of Belarus with Russia , forming a confederation and ending Belarus' independence. In response to the march, the Belarusian government suspended further integration between the two states. The Jeans Revolution was a term used by the opposition in Belarus and its supporters to describe their effort and aspirations on democratic changes in Belarus, in

2223-652: The intensification of an ongoing partisan movement within the country , which is backed by the Coordination Council. Leading partisan formations include the Supraciǔ (an alliance between the Cyber Partisans , People's Self Defense Brigades , and Busly liaciać ), the Community of Railway Workers of Belarus , and BYPOL , among others. Freedom Day ( Belarusian : Дзень Волі , Dzień Voli )

2280-599: The late 1980s when Mikhail Gorbachev 's Perestroika and the Chernobyl disaster exposed the serious shortcomings of the Soviet system and galvanized a significant section of Belarusians around the issues of environment, de-Stalinization , national revival and democratic change. The dissolution of the Soviet Union brought about a brief period of democracy from 1991 to 1994. However, since his election in 1994, Alexander Lukashenko established an authoritarian rule creating

2337-435: The most important resources. Siverskyi Donets River is the main water artery of the Lysychansk and the whole region. The length of the Siverskyi Donets River within the city is 26.5 km. Verkhnia Bilenka River , a tributary of the Siverskyi Donets River , flows through the southern part of the city, the length of the river within the city is 7.7 km. Lysychansk has a humid continental climate ( Dfb ) according to

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2394-545: The nearest towns, the Lysychansk area constituted a major urban and industrial hub of the Donbas region, with a 2009 population of about 353,000. The city became the site of 2022's Battle of Lysychansk , which ended with the capture of the city by Russian forces and the Luhansk People's Republic on 2 July. Up to 12,000 were estimated to have remained in the city, according to Ukrainian authorities. Russia has claimed

2451-406: The opposition group and website, was stormed by Lukashenko's security forces and all of its staff were arrested. According to The Independent , Lukashenko's security forces went after his opponents "with a ferocity that would not have looked out of place in Soviet times". A series of protests influenced by a serious economic crisis took place in 2011. As a result of these protests, on 29 July,

2508-512: The period leading up to the 2006 presidential election . After the 2010 Belarusian presidential election , up to 40,000 people protested against Lukashenko. Up to 700 opposition activists, including 7 presidential candidates, were arrested in the post-election crackdown. Several websites of the opposition and opposition candidates were also blocked or hacked. Facebook , Twitter , YouTube , Google Talk , many email services and LiveJournal were also blocked. The headquarters of Charter 97,

2565-401: The presidential election with between 60 and 70% of the vote and formed a Coordination Council to facilitate the peaceful and orderly transfer of power in Belarus. Online groups on Telegram such as Nexta , as well as smaller decentralised groups, played an important role in the spread of information and coordination of opposition activities. The suppression of the protests resulted in

2622-527: The regiment's structure is as follows: Former units include: The battalion has been featured on public posters in Kyiv to illustrate Ukrainian-Belarusian military ties. The creation of the battalion was endorsed by Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya , who noted that "more and more people from Belarus join to help Ukrainians defend their country". President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko , an ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin , called

2679-502: The scale of the tasks facing the Belarusian soldiers". The regiment would consist of three battalions, "Litvin", "Volat", and "Terror." Terror would later split from the Regiment and become an independent unit, the Terror Battalion . On 17 June, it was announced that volunteers of the Regiment received state Ukrainian decorations "For Battle Merit" and "Ukraine Above All". On 26 June 2022, four Regiment fighters were killed in

2736-482: The separatists "massively left Lysychansk" with "seized cars from the population and in parking lots;" Russian ITAR-TASS reported the same day that the separatists had "decided to leave the town in order to save the population and stop clashes." This was mainly because their defeat in the Siege of Sloviansk and the evacuation of Kramatorsk made holding the city untenable. The next day, heavy fighting continued around

2793-484: The start of the war. "Volat" was killed attempting to rescue four members of the regiment buried under rubble during the Battle of Bakhmut . On 21 May, battalion commander, Dzianis Prokharaŭ (call sign "Kit") announced that the battalion would become a regiment comprising two separate battalions. This was presented as "a move to the next stage of building a [Belarusian] national military unit" which "tak[es] into account

2850-632: The town while the Ukrainian National Guard and the Ukrainian army released a statement that stated "the military plan to free Lysychansk, Luhansk region , from terrorist groups in the near future." On 24 July 2014 the Ukrainian army claimed its troops had entered Lysychansk and its Col. Andriy Lysenko stated "We will take the town, and the road will be open to Horlivka , then Donetsk ." On 25 July 2014, Ukrainian forces secured

2907-640: The unit. According to its own statements, the battalion is not incorporated into the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine in order to preserve greater autonomy. The unit is named after the Belarusian and Polish national hero Kastuś Kalinoŭski , who was a leader of the January Uprising in 1863 against the Russian Empire in Belarus and Lithuania. The regiment is confirmed to have suffered seven killed as of July 2022. The first foreign volunteer group in Ukraine during

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2964-475: The uprising, the area was resettled with Voronove (founded by Khokhlov's Cossacks), Syrotyne (Popov's and Sirotin's Cossacks), Borivske (partly settled by former residents of the burned the Borovskaya Sloboda ), Metiolkine (Metelnikov's Cossacks) and Smolianynove (Smolkin's Cossacks). In 1890, a Belgian industrialist Ernest Solvay build a soda plant with surrounding infrastructure for

3021-537: The volunteers "crazed citizens". On 26 March, Deputy Head of the GUBOPiK of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus Mikhail Bedunkevich stated that a criminal case had been instituted in Belarus against 50 people from the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Battalion for participating in an armed conflict in a foreign state. In November 2022, the European Parliament adopted a resolution expressing its support for

3078-674: Was among the biggest industrial centres in Luhansk Oblast . Since 2010, many plants have closed, with massive lay-offs. The city and the surrounding area has five coal mines owned by Lysychanskvuhillia. Coal reserves amount to 179.7 million tons. Production capacity is 2.8 million tons of coal per year. Institutes of higher education in Lysychansk include the Donbas State Technical University and Luhansk State University of Internal Affairs . Trolleys and buses run to and from Lysychansk as well as within

3135-412: Was created on the anniversary of the referendum held in 1996, and which, in the words of the organization, declares "devotion to the principles of independence, freedom and democracy, respect to the human rights, solidarity with everybody, who stands for elimination of dictatorial regime and restoration of democracy in Belarus." On 17 October 1999, dozens of Belarusians took to the streets to rally against

3192-562: Was reported the regiment had taken an oath and has been formally admitted to the Ukrainian Ground Forces . On 29 March, the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Battalion volunteers fought alongside Ukrainian soldiers to recapture Irpin . On 26 March, Dzmitry Apanasovich (call sign "Terror") was killed during fighting in Irpin. On 1 April, it was reported that thousands of volunteers — many of whom were dissidents who had been arrested following

3249-502: Was set to speak at the main protest, was allegedly stopped in the morning on his way to Minsk. The government defended the mass arrests and beatings against citizens by alleging that the police had found "petrol bombs and arms-laden cars" near a protest in Minsk. In May 2020, a lowered approval of Lukashenko amid his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic led to street protests and the blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky labeling Lukashenko as

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