Fifty-one of the freed political prisoners crossed into Lithuania, opposition leaders told the Associated Press.

They are intended to showcase close defense ties between Moscow and Minsk, as well as Russia’s military might as it fights its 3½-year-old war in neighboring Ukraine.

UK-Belarus dual citizen Julia Fenner, who is the wife of a British diplomat, has been freed from prison by Belarus as part of a broader release agreed with the US. She had been given a long jail term last month after being detained on the border as she entered Belarus in March 2024.

All border crossings between Poland and Belarus were closed overnight on Sept. 12, ahead of the start of joint Russian-Belarusian military exercises, Polish news outlet Onet reported. Traffic across the border was suspended in both directions, including cars and cargo trains.

Near Minsk, Belarus is building a secret military base likely intended for the "Oreshnik" missile system, according to satellite imagery. Since 2022, Belarus has upgraded multiple military sites and is now finishing two new bases near Ukraine’s border, just days ahead of the… pic.twitter.com/uecvZJDLU0

Belarusian opposition politician Mikola Statkevich refused to leave Belarus and staged a lone vigil in no man’s land on the Lithuanian border.Statkevich, the most prominent among the

Europe faces a new flashpoint as Russia’s massive “Zapad” military exercises in Belarus spark alarm across NATO. Moscow has escalated tensions by using its nuclear-capable Oreshnik missiles near the Polish border,