Belarus Claims that "Terrorist" Killed While in Custody Was Sent from Poland and Was to Flee to Ukraine
State TV channels in Belarus have aired detailed stories about an alleged foreign terrorist who was killed during an attempt to arrest him in the Belarusian city of Hrodna a few days ago, claiming that he allegedly arrived from Poland and was then supposed to go to Ukraine.
According to Zerkalo.io, that is citing Belarus’ ONT and CTV channels, the man, who was killed during the storming of an apartment in Hrodna, allegedly had a Russian passport in the name of Alexei Lomakin, but the man's fingerprints were not found on either the Russian or the Belarusian database. A representative of the Belarusian State Committee for Forensic Examinations in a comment for the story said that the passport form itself is genuine, and the data had been changed by peeling off the laminating layer and inserting a new page with other data under it, which had been printed out on a printer.
"Lomakin" allegedly arrived from Poland, and also changed addresses several times within a short period: on 24-28 February he was in Mahilioŭ, from 1 March for a short time in Minsk, then almost immediately after that he moved to Hrodna, where he rented an apartment which was eventually stormed by the security forces.
TV stories report that "Lomakin" allegedly used bad make-up, a wig and clothes that helped to change the proportions of his body, and "even the taxi drivers who delivered him alcohol gave him dirty looks".
They also added a taxi driver's comment, where he says that "Lomakin's" hair looked very unnatural, that he offered the taxi driver a drink and asked if he had friends who "can drink with him and do not talk too much".
"Lomakin" allegedly monitored the buildings of security forces, large businesses, the railway station and the homes of the leadership of the security sector and officials with the aim of organising a terrorist attack. He apparently had to assemble the explosive device himself on Belarusian territory.
In March he reportedly bought a wireless doorbell that works at a distance of 100 metres and another with a 5-metre wire "to prepare for a remote detonation", bought "12 metres of reinforcing bar" in rolled metal, which were meant to become the debris during the explosion. He allegedly had caches of explosives, a Kalashnikov assault rifle and grenades.
Further in the story, it was said that on 18 March, the "terrorist spy" took an AK rifle with cartridges and grenades, which he had in a cache near Hrodna, to the apartment, and on 19 March, the security forces came to storm it. "Lomakin" allegedly barricaded himself and tried to resist with the weapons he had. The TV channel gives a detailed description of how the skirmish took place, with the detonation of a grenade and shots from an AK. They allegedly tried to save the wounded "terrorist", but he died on the way to the hospital.
For 21-23 March, "Lomakin" had an apartment booked in Homieĺ, and from there he allegedly planned to leave for Ukraine.
The KGB [State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus ed.] said that during the search of the apartment, they found "an AK-74 assault rifle, 2 magazines for it, an F1 grenade, 26 pieces of metal reinforcing bar, a radio-controlled doorbell, a foreign passport with signs of forgery, and a wig".
The Association of Security Forces of Belarus (BYPOL) [Belarusian organisation that was created by former employees of law enforcement agencies to counter the Belarusian authorities – ed.] considers the events to be "staged" by the Belarusian special services.
On 19 March, the State Security Committee of Belarus announced the death of a foreigner during his arrest who was allegedly planning a terrorist attack.