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Tertel details cross-border operations to reunite Ukrainian, Russian families

MINSK, 24 December (BelTA) - Following his report to Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, Chairman of the State Security Committee (KGB) Ivan Tertel informed journalists about the operations conducted to reunite Russian and Ukrainian families, BelTA has learned.

The KGB chief noted that an active dialogue continues between the presidents of the United States and Belarus, covering many topics of both global and regional importance. “Of course, Ukraine is the top priority. You know that our head of state takes this situation to heart as it involves our kin nation, the fraternal people who have been pulled into this conflict,” he stated. “Therefore, on the instructions of the head of state, in some aspects coordinated with the U.S. side and other stakeholders, we undertake measures to facilitate the resolution of various issues.”

For instance, last week, two operations were carried out at the border to reunite families, both Ukrainian and Russian. This included children traveling in both directions: from Russia to Ukraine and the reverse. "Children who had lost very close family members were reunited,” Ivan Tertel noted. “This was achieved despite attempts to politicize the issue.”

On this matter, Belarus receives support from the intelligence services of other states, including Western ones, Ivan Tertel said. They are united in the view that this is a matter on which "one should by no means seek political capital or exploit it,” he noted. “Because this is a purely humanitarian track: elderly people, children, women, individuals in extremely difficult situations. On the instruction of our head of state, they all receive medical assistance. We doeverything possible, acting humanely, without regard to passport, nationality, skin color, or other such things,” he said.

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