Ukraine confirmed on Saturday (December 13, 2025) that of the 123 people pardoned by Belarusian President Alexandr Lukashenko, including political prisoners, 114 will be accepted into the country, including the main imprisoned opposition leaders María Kolesnikova and Viktor Babariko.
“Today, at the request of the President of Ukraine, an operation was carried out to repatriate 114 civilians detained on the territory of the Republic of Belarus,” the Coordination Center for Prisoners of War of Ukraine said on its Telegram account.
Among those released to Ukraine are five Ukrainians imprisoned for espionage, as well as Belarusian public and political figures such as Kolesnikova, Babariko and journalist Marina Zolótova, among others.
Joint work
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier noted that the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR), Kirilo Budanov, informed him about the details of the special operation to liberate civilians in Belarus. “Thanks to the active role of the United States and the cooperation of our intelligence services, almost a hundred people have now regained their freedom, including five Ukrainian citizens,” he said on his Telegram account.
The release came after consultations held in Minsk over the past two days between Lukashenko and White House envoy John Cole.
(mn/efe, afp)
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