The Story Of Another Belarusian Who Became Ukrainian Hero
- Volha Reshatsilava
- 28.09.2022, 10:34
Since 2016, Aliaksei Veshchavaylau fought in the 72nd brigade named after the Black Zaporozhians.
For a long time I was going to write you a story about Aliaksei Veshchavaylau, a Belarusian citizen in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. A real warrior.
Since 2016, Aliaksei fought in the 72nd mechanized brigade named after the Black Zaporozhians. He fought honestly and with dignity, like many other military men. And I probably would never have known about it if in January 2019 Aliaksei had not done one stupid thing.
He really needed to visit his relatives in Belarus, and on his vacation he went to them. And, of course, he didn't make it. At the border, Aliaksei was arrested by Belarusian KGB officers, accused of mercenarism, and sentenced to two and a half years in prison.
His comrade Yury Raby turned to me. We have used all possible tools to release the Ukrainian serviceman. But the Belarusians were adamant, according to their legislation, participation in the Armed Forces of foreign countries without the consent of Belarus is mercenarism.
The only thing we managed to achieve with the assistance of the then head of the Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk, Leonid Kuchma, was Aliaksei being transferred from a reinforced-security prison under the control of the KGB to a settlement where he served his sentence in relatively human conditions.
In September last year, after serving his sentence, Aliaksei returned to Ukraine, where his girlfriend had been waiting for him all this time. Now she is his wife and mother of his son.
But then new challenges began. No one was in a hurry to grant him citizenship of Ukraine, which Aliaksei asked for. Moreover, Aliaksei was eager to return to fight in his brigade, but military counterintelligence did not give permission for restoration. On February 22, I even met with the head of the counters on this issue, but on February 22, everyone was not up to it.
And without waiting for permission to be reinstated in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Aliaksei went to fight in the Foreign Legion.
Aliaksei died yesterday in Bakhmut. For Ukraine, which he considered his country.
A year ago, Aliaksei gave me permission to write his story publicly, because he is “now in Ukraine forever.” I put it off, because there were always more pressing matters than writing the story of a Belarusian who gave so much to Ukraine.
Now I am writing this. Because I would very much like Aliaksei Veshchavailau to receive Ukrainian citizenship. At least posthumously. And I would like his wife and little son to have all the guarantees and support that the family of the Ukrainian Warrior deserves.
Eternal Glory to the Hero.
Please share this post. Let's ask Volodymyr Zelensky to pay tribute to Aliaksei Veshchavailau, a Belarusian who remained “in Ukraine forever”.
Volha Reshatsilava, Facebook