Belarusian authorities have sent to prison a Belarusian national who fought for Russia against Ukraine, in a move analysts describe as a pointed signal despite Minsk’s alliance with the Kremlin.
According to Dissidentby, a Belarusian court sentenced Maksim Zezyulchik to at least 10 years in a penal colony after finding him guilty of mercenarism and state treason. The trial was held behind closed doors, with case materials classified, and Zezyulchik is set to serve his term at Correctional Colony IK-17 in Shklov. Dissidentby reported that the ruling went ahead despite Moscow’s appeals to intervene.
The decision appears demonstrative, experts say: a man who fought on Russia’s side received a harsh sentence at home in a country the Kremlin calls its closest ally.
Following the verdict, the Russian movement “Veterans of Russia” called on President Alexander Lukashenko to pardon Zezyulchik, describing him as a “volunteer” who allegedly served as an instructor and received a medal. The Russian Embassy in Minsk also said it would seek to have the mercenarism charge dropped.
Belarusian authorities did not act on those appeals. The sentence sends a clear message that taking part in Russia’s war does not guarantee protection even in allied Belarus.
After Russia’s full-scale invasion, Zezyulchik served under contract in the Belarusian army. Investigators say his commander told him about the Redut private military company, which is linked to Russia’s military intelligence. In 2022, Zezyulchik went to Russia, was recruited, and deployed to the front.
He was wounded and captured in Donetsk region that autumn. A Ukrainian court sentenced him to 10 years in prison for fighting as a mercenary. In 2024, he was transferred to Russia in a prisoner exchange, returned to Belarus, and was immediately placed under investigation.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has suggested Zezyulchik may have had ties to Belarus’s KGB, with his involvement in Redut serving as cover to collect intelligence on Ukrainian forces and the plans of Russian entities.
Redut, investigative outlets “Sistema” and “Schemes” previously reported, is directly overseen by Russia’s Defense Ministry and connected to Russian military intelligence - underscoring the paradox of an ally of the Kremlin jailing someone who fought in the interests of Russia’s army.
