Belarus's authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka on May 23 appointed Major General Paval Muraveyka to the post of the chief of the Belarusian armed forces' general staff. Muraveyka's predecessor, Viktar Hulevich, 55, was relieved of his duties on May 10 for what was officially called "his age." Before the appointment, Muraveyka, 52, served as the First Deputy of the country's Security Council. Muraveyka has been under EU sanctions since December 2023 over Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Belarus has provided logistical assistance to Russia's armed forces to attack Ukraine. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Belarus Service, click here.
