What does the appearance of natives of Belarus in a Russian special unit for particularly important operations and secret assassinations mean?
The positions of chief of staff and intelligence commander in a new Russian super-secret special unit, designated for special operations, are held by former members of the Belarusian KGB's "Alpha" group . Nasha Niva has learned that they received their Russian passports back in 2019. What else is known and what does this imply?
In this 2014 photo, Siarhei Radkevich — now the commander of the intelligence department of the super-secret Russian "Center 795". Photo from his social media
In the photo above — the 2014 Ice Hockey World Championship, Minsk, a sporty man in a "Russia" T-shirt is embraced by another trained young man. Siarhei Radkevich previously served in the Belarusian "Alpha," and is now the commander of the intelligence department of the super-secret Russian "Center 795."
Around 500 officers serve in "Center 795" — a size comparable to the special services of a medium-sized European state. It was created after the attack on Ukraine. Elite forces of the GRU and FSB were assembled into it. It was established as a super-secret and completely autonomous structure, intended for the most important operations — from military operations in Ukraine to political assassinations and kidnappings abroad. The need for such a structure arose after a series of failures in the GRU, when its employees were exposed during terrorist acts in various countries.
Siarhei Radkevich (right) with Deputy Secretary of the Security Council of Russia Dmitry Medvedev, 2023
And in this photo, Siarhei Radkevich (right) is with Deputy Secretary of the Security Council of Russia Dmitry Medvedev. This is 2023, Medvedev is visiting an enterprise of the Kalashnikov Concern.
The Insider managed to identify all key leaders and sponsors of this Center 795, determine its location and main areas of activity. The publication appeared after one of the officers was arrested in Colombia on charges of organizing the kidnapping of several political opponents of Putin. This officer failed because he used Google Translate to communicate with his agent.
Center 795 is based on the structure of the Russian Kalashnikov Concern.
On Siarhei Radkevich's social media pages, there is a 2018 photo where he (second from the right) was already hanging out with the Kalashnikov crowd at the EEO2018 competition in the Czech Republic.
In phone books, he appears as "Radkevich Sergey Alexandrovich, as well as Supkin Serge, Sergei Radik, "Radik" Sergei Radkevich, Serge Radd, Serge Ot Alana Zhilety, Belarus Alpha Sergei, Glock Sergei, Kalashnikov Concern Sergei, Patriot Sergei, Radkevich Sergei Kalashnikov, ChOO Varyag — Radkevich Sergei Alexandrovich, Radkevich Betcity."
His hobbies are typical for Russian and pro-Russian security forces of this generation: besides shooting, these are motorcycles.
For Belarusians, it is significant in this story that natives of the Belarusian "Alpha" also serve in "Center 795," a Russian special unit. And not in junior positions. Siarhei Radkevich is the head of the intelligence department there. And Dzmitry Drazdov is even the chief of staff.
According to data held in "Belpol" databases, Dzmitry Drazdov served in military unit 10091, which is linked to the KGB of Belarus, at least until 2016. Siarhei Radkevich served in the same unit until 2016. After that, he was considered unemployed for some time, and from 2020 he began to appear in databases as the director for special projects of the Kalashnikov Concern. Radkevich has a series PP passport from 08.04.2017, which he received as a person permanently residing abroad, and information about consular registration in Russia.
It is found online that these two officers now have Russian passports.
Siarhei Radkevich on his wedding day, 2017. Photo from his social media
Dzmitry Drazdov, a native of Minsk, received a Russian passport on January 22, 2019, in Moscow. And Siarhei Radkevich — on January 25, 2019, also in Moscow (Radkevich, by the way, is a native of Kharkiv, which his associates have been bombing for four years now).
The synchronicity of their passport acquisition is notable — they simultaneously decided to transfer to service in Russia.
The fact that they are citizens of Russia is also significant. This means that we are not talking about an integrated Belarusian-Russian structure. This means they simply changed one state for another. If it were an integrated structure, they would most likely have remained citizens of Belarus.
What does the fact of staffing a top Russian special service with natives of the Belarusian KGB mean? Nasha Niva posed this question to Lieutenant Colonel Stanislau Lupanosaŭ, who worked in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus until 2020, and later joined "ByPol."
“This is the first time such a fact has become known,” says Stanislau Lupanosaŭ. “Previously, for Belarusians, there was only Belarus; their own employees were only for themselves. Apparently, the situation has changed. And Russia has started to attract our specialists, especially since our specialists have always been valued in Russia.”
What motivates natives of Belarusian security structures to hire themselves out to Russia?
“It's money, good salaries, poaching, commercial interest,” suggests Lieutenant Colonel Lupanosaŭ.
Did this happen with Lukashenka's consent?
“I think they don't ask for consent, but the leadership cannot be unaware. It's noteworthy that the "Alpha" officer born in 1983 is still young; he could still be working here in the agencies. He received a Russian passport when he was 36 years old,” notes the ex-security officer.
Could such a unit, since it was staffed with natives of Belarus, also deal with political opponents of the Belarusian dictatorship?
“Possibly,” suggests Stanislau Lupanosaŭ. “Because information exchange has always existed and never stopped. The most striking example is the arrest of Fyaduta and Zyankovich in Moscow.”
“Employees of our KGB special units studied at the FSB Academy,” reminds Stanislau Lupanosaŭ.
“The publication of information about 'Center 795' will lead to the curtailment of its activities,” Stanislau Lupanosaŭ is convinced. “If it was burned in the media, with names and positions, that's a failure.
This is similar to how in 2022, "ByPol" declassified the 9th department of the GRU. After that, that structure was disbanded.”
Siarhei Radkevich, photo from the Belarusian passport database
Dzmitry Drazdov, photo from the Belarusian passport database
As we can see from the examples of Dzmitry Drazdov and Siarhei Radkevich, some Belarusian security officers are ready to hire themselves out to the dirtiest Russian structures — just to receive Russian salaries.
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Лукашенко - их кукла, через которую выполняют всю грязь по уничтожению беларуского в Беларуси, чтобы, напрямую, самим не пачкаться.....
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