Author: Tatsiana Ashurkevich in Kyiv

Viachaslau Hranouski, a former Belarusian police officer turned Ukrainian soldier, reflects on his journey from serving Lukashenko’s regime to fighting against it. Watching the regime’s brutality during protests in 2020 led him to resign and flee to Ukraine. Now part of the Kastuś Kalinoŭski regiment, Hranouski fights not only for Ukraine but also for a Belarus free from dictatorship. He recalls the violent crackdown on protesters by his former colleagues, highlighting the lack of critical thinking and blind obedience within the police force. Lukashenko’s regime declared the Kastuś Kalinoŭski regiment a terrorist organization, leading to criminal charges against Hranouski in…