Journalists observed Belarusian representatives participating in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine regarding prisoners.

During the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine regarding the exchange of prisoners, in addition to the human rights commissioners of Russia and Ukraine, Tatyana Moskalkova and Dmitry Lubinets, and representatives from international organizations, there were also representatives from Belarus. This includes a member of the House of Representatives of Belarus, former Minister of Labor and Social Protection Iryna Kastevich, and presumably a KGB officer Valery Stepanovich. This was reported by the Belarusian service of Radio Liberty on Friday, January 24.

According to journalists, Iryna Kastevich was first noticed at the meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian sides on November 8, 2024. At that time, Ukraine and Russia exchanged lists of prisoners, and the Russian side handed over the bodies of deceased soldiers to Ukraine.

“At that meeting, the sides agreed for the first time that each time negotiations or exchanges occurred, they would exchange letters on mutual terms – sending letters to Ukrainian prisoners in Russia and Russian prisoners in Ukraine. According to Dmitry Lubinets, with the assistance of the Belarusian side and the participation of the International Committee of the Red Cross, he held a meeting with Tatyana Moskalkova on Belarusian territory,” the article states.

By December 20, 2024, the ombudspersons of Russia and Ukraine, Tatyana Moskalkova and Dmitry Lubinets, had exchanged not only lists of prisoners and letters but also humanitarian aid for the prisoners, notes Radio Liberty.

On December 30, Ukraine and Russia conducted a new exchange of prisoners, which, according to the Coordination Headquarters, was “one of the largest since the full-scale invasion.” In the photo published by ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets, alongside him and Moskalkova, Iryna Kastevich and Valery Stepanovich are seated at the negotiation table.

Neither the Ukrainian nor the Russian sides explain the presence of these Belarusian representatives at the negotiations in their statements, nor do they mention their names. Journalists attempted to contact Iryna Kastevich directly, but she declined all calls.

The man who sat next to Kastevich during the meetings between Russia and Ukraine, according to documents provided to the editorial office by "Cyber Partisans," resembles KGB officer Valery Stepanovich. Cyber specialists report that Stepanovich serves in military unit No. 10091, which is the central apparatus of the Belarusian State Security Committee.

On January 15, 2025, Iryna Kastevich and presumably Valery Stepanovich were again present at a swap of seriously ill and wounded individuals between Russia and Ukraine. Additionally, Russian prisoners were transported by Belarusian ambulances and buses.

According to the official version, the mediator for the exchange was the United Arab Emirates. Subsequently, Ukrainian ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets reported that for the first time the negotiations were held in a four-party format, with representatives from the national societies of the Red Cross of Russia and Ukraine participating.

In a comment to the Belarusian service of Radio Liberty, the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada for Human Rights Dmitry Lubinets stated that information regarding Iryna Kastevich and Valery Stepanovich's roles during the Ukrainian-Russian negotiations “is restricted.”

Journalists speculate that the location of the Russian-Ukrainian prisoner exchanges resembles the Belarusian border crossing “Nova Huta” (on the Ukrainian side – “Novyi Yarylovychi”).

The location of the exchange was moved to Belarus following the start of the Kursk operation in August of last year. This information was also confirmed by Dmitry Lubinets. However, the Ukrainian ombudsman did not respond to questions regarding what role Belarus plays in these meetings, aside from offering its territory.

According to Alexander Azarov, head of the ByPol initiative of former security officials, during the negotiations, Stepanovich may act as an “observer” and “report everything to the KGB, and then to Lukashenko.”

Journalists note that shortly after the start of Tatyana Moskalkova's “escort,” Alexander Lukashenko appointed Iryna Kastevich to the CIS Human Rights Commission. Officially, the press service of the self-proclaimed president of Belarus has never mentioned Iryna Kastevich's authority to carry out any special assignments.

The Belarusian service of Radio Liberty spoke with Verkhovna Rada deputy Iryna Herashchenko, who represented Ukraine in the Trilateral Contact Group negotiations to resolve the situation in Donbas in Minsk from 2015 to 2019. According to her, representatives from Belarus were never present at the negotiation table.

“This is out of the question. On what grounds? Nothing like this has ever happened. There were us, the Russians, and the OSCE. Russia also brought representatives from ORDLO (pro-Russian administrations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions – ed.). But they were also not official participants of the group,” said Herashchenko.

She stated that representatives of the Belarusian authorities never initiated becoming participants in the negotiations within this group, and that “Minsk only provided a venue.”