Russian media: "The union" sky is a passing yard

Anton Suryapin, the first journalist who published photos of Swedish "teddy troopers" with democratic slogans, which was dropped over Belarus in July, is being detained  in the KGB jail without charge.

The situation has not changed even after Lukashenka fired generals who didn't prevent the violation of the country’s airspace, according to Russian information portal Vesti MD.

Anton Suryapin from Slutsk was arrested on July 13 and placed in the KGB prison. He is suspected of complicity in the illegal border crossing, for which he faces seven years in prison. The reason was that he, among the first, published on the internet pictures of teddy bears with democratic slogans, dropped from the Swedish aircraft, which intruded into the airspace of Belarus.

Recall, it was on July 4th, the day after the Independence Day celebrations, on which country's military power was demonstrated.

The government refused to recognize this fact long enough, despite photos and videos, which proved it. After nearly three weeks it was acknowledged by Aliaxandar Lukashenka, who promised to punish the responsible ones. On Tuesday his press service reported that those responsible law enforcement officers have been found and punished. The Chairman of the State Border Committee Igor Raczkowski and the Commander of the Air Force and Air Defense Forces, Dmitry Pokhmelkin have lost their jobs.

In addition, Lukashenka warned about the "incomplete official correspondence" the Defense Minister Yuri Zhadobin and the Chief of the General Headquarters of the Armed Forces, the First Deputy Defense Minister Peter Tikhanouski. The Secretary of State Security Council of Belarus Leonid Maltsev and the chairman of the State Security Committee Vadim Zaitsev were reprimanded.

The public expects that in connection with the dismissal the law enforcers the Suryapin’s case will advance. Amnesty International considered him a prisoner of conscience. The Swedish organizers of the "teddy airdrop" declared innocence of any of the citizens of Belarus to what has happened, and expressed willingness to provide appropriate evidence.

On charges of aiding was also detained a citizen of Belarus Sergei Basharimau, who rented an apartment to the Swedes. "With the same effect one can now arrest the bartender who sold us beer in Belarus", - commented to charter97.org actions of the official Minsk Thomas Masetto, one of the pilots who ran the aircraft.

Experts in Minsk suggest that the number of hostages could increase. Aliaxandar Lukashenka has been hit where it hurts the most, because he always boasted both before Russia and the EU of safety of its borders. "You have spent 20 billion euros to the air defense system, which failed to notice a small plane loaded with teddy bears" – rebuked the organizer of the “airdrop” Per Cromwell the Belarusian ruler in his open letter to Aliaxandar Lukashenka.

By the way, not all believe that the Swedes have organized such a shame for the ruler of Belarus from the desire of the victory of democracy in the world. Local experts believe that the customer of the "shame” of Belarusian Air Defense could be Russia that wants to have a trump while bargaining with Lukashenka.

Viktor Litovkin - executive editor of the "Independent Military Review", commented the situation: "The history of the Swedish "teddy troopers" in Belarus with all its absurdity has very specific components, which indicate serious shortcomings in providing security of the "union state" and its allies in CSTO and Russia. And punishments of the officials, who have not noticed (at least it seemed so at first) and have allowed a flight of an alien airplane on the territory of the country, is not a sufficient measure".

"It became clear after this incident that the Air Defense system of Belarus, as part of a unified Air Defense system of the "union state", is not technically able to detect  a violation of its airspace by a light airplane, maneuvering on height and taking advantage of the terrain", - summarized he.