Hanna Liubakova
@hannaliubakova
Belarusian independent journalist in exile | Non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council | Telling Belarus as it is
Wildberries now controls nearly half of #Belarus's e-commerce market. One strike on its logistics network is a reminder of a broader vulnerability: when your economy depends on businesses from an aggressor state, you're importing geopolitical risk along with your packages.
#Belarus If anyone still harbors beautiful illusions about reforming Lukashenka, leave them behind. His most loyal propagandists are proudly reporting from North Korea's Central School of the Workers' Party. That's the ideological model they admire.
Just weeks after reports that the relay transmitters in Belarus had been shut down, Ukraine says Russia may still be using them to guide Shahed attacks. Belarus is still a critical piece of Russia's military infrastructure. Don't mistake a temporary pause for a strategic change.
#Belarus Lukashenka promised Uzbek workers "well-paid jobs" and social guarantees. Days after arriving, many say they were offered just $500 a month - while paying for their own food and accommodation. Their response: "Send us back to Uzbekistan. We earn more at home."
#Belarus A powerful gust in Viciebsk toppled Lenin's bust. Nature occasionally delivers symbolism no censor can control🤭
#Belarus A Catholic priest, Yury Hrytsko, has been detained in the Zelva district and sentenced to 15 days of arrest. His alleged "crime" remains unknown. The regime's crackdown spares no one - not journalists and activists, but also priests and religious communities.
#Belarus In just three days, three Belarusian-style brands and stores - LSTR, Honar and the ethnoshop Ragna - have shut down under pressure. First they drove us into exile. Now even traditional clothing is treated as a threat. Erasing a nation's identity has become state policy.
#Belarus I seem to have a fan club in Russia. Elena Panina regularly quotes my @atlanticcouncil.bsky.social pieces and builds her propaganda narratives around them. Understandably so - if Kremlin propagandists keep responding to your work, it probably means you've hit a nerve.
#Belarus Exactly two years ago, a judge in Minsk handed down a "perfect 10" during the sham trial of 20 experts, journalists and researchers. I was sentenced in absentia to 10 years in prison and was later designated a "terrorist" and an "extremist."
#Belarus Hilarious! The regime has labeled more than 50 Telegram sticker packs as "extremist." Imagine how scary an emoji or a GIF must seem to a regime that fears stickers.
Lukashenka flew to Putin's Valdai residence. Brave timing. With all the fuel shortages in #Russia these days, let's hope (not really) there's enough left for the flight back🤭
#Belarus Journalist Kiryl Pazniak has been sentenced to 3.5 years in prison. His daughter Yanina has also been convicted - her sentence is still unknown. If you hear things have "calmed down," remember: arrests and sentences continue every day.
Vasil Verameichyk is a former volunteer fighter for Ukraine. He was arrested in Vietnam, and later extradited to #Belarus. Now he is serving a 13-year sentence. His family says he likely suffered a heart attack in prison. This is urgent. Vasil must be released before it's too late.
Glad to see @theguardian.com reference my recent @atlanticcouncil.bsky.social analysis in its reporting on Belarus's growing role in Russia's war against Ukraine. Understanding how the Belarusian regime operates and how the Kremlin uses #Belarus is essential for developing an effective response.
#Belarus My Facebook page has now been labeled "extremist" - joining my X account and me personally. They've sentenced me to 10 years and put me on wanted and terrorist lists. A regime that fears satire, speech and social media is a regime scared of its own shadow.
A 60-year-old insurance agent from Homel, Sviatlana Bazhankova, has been convicted in #Belarus for sending information to the Belarusian Hajun project. She baked cakes and worked for years helping people insure their lives. Today, the regime calls her an "extremist."
#Ukraine "How was your night?" I asked someone I know in Kyiv. "Horrible," they replied. "I've gotten used to the thought that I could die every night." And then I hear how little can be done, how the West is afraid of provoking Russia, how there are interests to consider.
A Russian woman asked Belarusians on Threads: "Is it true that people think, 'Why are all these Russians moving here?'" The post exploded, attracting 1,400+ comments. They did not disappoint 🧵 (couldn't resist adding a photo of my beloved Minsk)
#Belarus For nearly a year, 62-year-old Ukrainian citizen Natalia Batashava has been held in Minsk's Akrestsina detention center without charges, without access to a lawyer and without contact with her family. She has reportedly suffered serious health problems in custody.
Between late January and June, life gets unusually busy with work travel, some trips more intense than others. Whenever I return home, I take a few quiet hours to settle my buzzing mind. That uninterrupted time helps me regain focus. It's a small luxury, and one I rarely get.
The regime is persecuting people linked to the European Humanities University, in exile in Lithuania. More than 30 searches have been carried out across #Belarus. Parents are being told to force their children to leave EHU and return home - or face criminal prosecution.
#Ukraine's strikes on Russian refineries are starting to show up in the fuel market. Belarusian gasoline sales on Russia's exchange jumped from just 300 tons a year ago to over 17,000 tons in May 2026, wrote Russian media. The regime is earning money even here.
