Russia’s Victory Day celebration on Tuesday was the last time the Belarusian leader was seen in public.
A photo of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has been published by state media following growing speculation about his health.
The photo, posted on the Telegram channel of Pul Pervovo, a news outlet that reports on Lukashenko’s activities, showed him with a bandage on his left hand. He said the president was working at a military command base.
On Sunday, state news agency BeLTA reported that Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko read a message from Lukashenko, 68, during an annual ceremony in which young people pledge allegiance to the flag.
According to the opposition news outlet Euroradio, Lukashenko was transferred to an elite clinic in Minsk on Saturday.
A Russian online publication, Podyom, quoted a senior member of the Duma’s lower house of parliament, Konstantin Zatulin, as saying that “[Lukashenko] he just got sick… and probably needs to rest.”
The photo was posted on the Telegram channel of Pul Pervovo, a news outlet that reports on Lukashenko’s activities [Pul Pervogo Telegram channel]
Lukashenko was last seen in public on Tuesday during Russia’s annual Victory Day celebrations in Moscow. Rumors then began to circulate after reports that he appeared tired and unsteady when he skipped a lunch hosted by President Vladimir Putin.
The Belarusian leader also did not speak at an event in Minsk to mark the anniversary of his assumption of the presidency.
On Monday, the Kremlin said there had been no official announcement from Minsk about Lukashenko’s health. He said it was best to be guided by the official statements of the Belarusian authorities.
Lukashenko has become more dependent on Russia for energy and loans since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year.
Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya told her supporters to be prepared for “all scenarios” in response to growing rumors about Lukashenko’s health.
On Twitter, he wrote: “There are many rumors about the health of dictator Lukashenko. For us, it means only one thing: we must be well prepared for every scenario. Turn Belarus on the path to democracy and prevent Russia from step in. We need the international community to be proactive and fast.”
There are many rumors about the health of the dictator Lukashenko. For us, it means only one thing: we must be well prepared for every scenario. Put Belarus on the road to democracy and prevent Russia from interfering. We need the international community to be proactive and fast. pic.twitter.com/qfnsnPYBMZ
— Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (@Tsihanouskaya) May 15, 2023
On Sunday, Franak Viacorka, an adviser to Tsikhanouskaya, said the opposition was working on a joint action plan “with democratic forces” for “when something happens.”
According to the Belarusian constitution, if Lukashenko is unable to govern, his position is held by the speaker of the upper house of parliament until elections are held.
The current speaker is Natalya Kochanova, Lukashenko’s former chief of staff, who is considered loyal and hard-line.
Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, has used his powers to quell protests and impose long prison terms on opponents.
