Support The Moscow Times!

Lukashenko Fires Top Brass Over Teddy Bear Drop

Channel One ran pictures of the teddy bears touching down near the town of Ivyanets in early July.

Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko fired two senior military officials and warned two others after Swedish amateur pilots parachuted hundreds of teddy bears into the country in a pro-democracy stunt.

Authorities had earlier denied the plane drop, in which two unidentified pilots released about 800 stuffed animals with messages supporting freedom of speech near the town of Ivyanets on July 4, saying a video of the daring flight posted online was a fake.

In the video, one of the pilots can be seen throwing the bears from a low-flying aircraft. Notes in Russian and English reading "We support the Belarussian struggle for free speech" are attached to each toy.

The plane was chartered by a Swedish public relations firm and flew into Belarussian airspace from Lithuania, Reuters reported.

President Lukashenko, known for cultivating a strongman image, responded to the incident Tuesday by firing air force commander Dmitry Pakhmelkin and the country’s top border guard, Igor Rachkovsky.

The presidential press service said the two had been fired for "improperly carrying out their duties in ensuring Belarussian national security," Interfax reported.

Lukashenko also upbraided Defense Minister Yury Zhadobin and head of the General Staff Pyotr Tikhonovsky over the incident, the press service said.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more