Lukashenko visited the country’s Air Force Central Command on Monday. He announced that forces had been put on high alert for three days. This is with reference to the Russian information that two Russian military helicopters and two fighter jets crashed in southern Russia this weekend.
However, there were different reports about the cause.
— Three days have passed since the events near us, I mean in the Bryansk region where four aircraft were shot down, Lukashenko said and continued:
— We had to react.
During the visit, he wore a military uniform, looked grim and had a bandage on his hand.
Lukashenko has not been seen until Monday since he took part in the Russian victory parade in Moscow on May 9 and speculation about the 68-year-old’s health has run high.
But if the Russian member of parliament Konstantin Zatuli is to be believed, it was only a case of Lukashenko contracting a common illness.
— It’s nothing out of the ordinary, no covid. He simply just got sick, Zatuli said earlier on Monday, reported Der Spiegel with reference to Russian media.
“He probably just needs to rest, that’s all,” he said.
Speculation grew after he canceled several engagements in the past week, including Sunday’s televised ceremony in Minsk where the country saluted three state symbols, including its flag, but also a lunch with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Lukashenko is usually called Europe’s last dictator and is one of Putin’s closest allies.