Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svitlana Tsikhanovskaya told her supporters on Monday that they are ready to seize any chance to turn their country into a democracy, as speculation about dictator Alexander Lukashenko’s health grows, News.ro reports. Shortly after her announcement on Twitter, a public Belarusian news channel published a photo of Lukashenka, which it said was in a military command center, marking his first public appearance in nearly a week.

Later, state television showed a clip with Lukashenka visiting an Air Force command base, Reuters reports. In the pictures, the 68-year-old Belarusian leader is sitting on a chair and talking to the military. Dressed in military uniform, Lukashenko sometimes has difficulty breathing, his voice is very hoarse, and he appears to still be wearing the bandage on his left arm that was seen last Tuesday when he was at a parade in Moscow.

Lukashenko, who once proclaimed himself “the last and only dictator in Europe,” has ruled Belarus with an iron fist since 1994, using security forces to intimidate, physically assault and imprison opponents or force them to flee abroad.

A staunch ally of Russia, Lukashenko has not been photographed in public since May 9, when he attended the annual military parade in Moscow’s Red Square as a guest of President Vladimir Putin. Then they saw Lukashenka with a bandage on his right arm, looking tired and a little unsure. Later, he was not at the dinner that Putin offered to his guests. In addition, after the parade, he did not walk – like Putin and his guests – to the memorial, where flowers are laid, at a distance of 300 meters, but took an electric car there.

Speculation about his health intensified on Sunday, when Lukashenko was absent from an important ceremony in Minsk amid unconfirmed reports of his hospitalization. His place was taken by Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko, and Lukashenka’s office refused to comment on his absence.

A sometimes reluctant but long-term ally of Moscow, Lukashenko is becoming increasingly dependent on Russia for energy supplies and loans. Lukashenko allowed Putin to use the territory of Belarus to invade Ukraine in February 2022, but ruled out the possibility of participating with his own forces and equipment in Russia’s war in the neighboring country.

“We will be well prepared”

Svitlana Tsikhanovska, whose husband is in prison in Belarus, ran in the last presidential election instead of her husband against Lukashensky. She then fled abroad for her own safety in 2020, when mass street protests against Lukashenka broke out and were eventually suppressed.

On Monday, she said that the opposition should be ready for any scenario. “There are many rumors about the state of health of dictator Lukashenka,” Tsykhanovska sent to her supporters on Twitter. “For us, this means only one thing: we must be well prepared for any scenario. Return Belarus to the path of democracy and prevent Russian interference. We need the international community to be proactive and quick,” she said.

On Sunday, Svitlana Tsyganovska’s advisor Franak Viachorka said that the opposition is developing a joint plan of action “with democratic forces” for “when something happens.” He did not provide more details.

Lukashenko classifies internal opponents as subversives and traitors manipulated by the West.

Mysterious Russian plane in Minsk

On the other hand, flight tracking data showed that a special Russian government plane flew in and out of Minsk over the weekend. It is not known who was on board.

Russia has troops stationed in Belarus, the two countries’ military and security organizations are closely integrated, and Moscow has repeatedly told the West not to approach Belarus, which it considers a solid part of its sphere of influence.

In response to questions about Lukashenko on Monday, the Kremlin referred the press to official statements from the Belarusian authorities, saying they had not yet made any.

According to the Constitution, if Lukashenko is incapacitated and cannot lead the state, his position is temporarily transferred to the head of the upper house of the parliament – the Council of the Republic – until new elections are held. Currently, the president of this forum is 62-year-old Nataliya Kochanova, ex-head of Lukashenka’s administration. She is considered loyal to Lukashenka and, like him, a follower of the hard line.

Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for the Main Directorate of Military Intelligence of Ukraine, said on television on Monday that Kyiv has information about Lukashenka’s health, but said he would not comment on it for various reasons.

Lukashenko did not appear in public for six days / High-ranking official of the Russian Federation: “He just got sick, he probably needs rest”