Russia’s Victory Day celebration on Tuesday was the last time the Belarusian leader was seen in public.
A photo of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has been published by a state news outlet after mounting speculation about his health.
In the photo posted on the Telegram channel of Pul Pervovo, a news channel reporting on Lukashenko’s activities, he wore a bandage on his left hand. It said the president worked at a military command base.
On Sunday, state news agency BeLTA reported that Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko read a message from 68-year-old Lukashenko at an annual ceremony in which young people swear allegiance to the flag.
Lukashenko was taken to an elite clinic in Minsk on Saturday, according to the opposition newspaper Euroradio.
A Russian online publication, Podyom, quoted a senior member of the State Duma parliament, Konstantin Zatulin, as saying that “[Lukashenko] just got sick… and probably needs rest.”
Lukashenko was last seen in public on Tuesday at the annual Russian Victory Day celebrations in Moscow. Rumors then began to circulate after reports that he looked tired and shaky as he skipped a luncheon given by President Vladimir Putin.
The Belarusian leader also did not speak at an event in Minsk marking the anniversary of his taking office as president.
On Monday, the Kremlin said there had been no official communication from Minsk about Lukashenko’s health. It said it was best to be guided by official statements from the Belarusian authorities.
Lukashenko has become more dependent on Russia for energy and loans since the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year.
Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya told her supporters to be prepared for “any scenario” in response to growing rumors about Lukashenko’s health.
On Twitter, she wrote: “There are many rumors about the health of dictator Lukashenko. For us it means only one thing: we have to be well prepared for every scenario. To put Belarus on the road to democracy and prevent Russia from interfering. We need the international community to be proactive and fast.”
There are many rumors about the health of dictator Lukashenko. For us it means only one thing: we have to be well prepared for every scenario. To put Belarus on the road to democracy and prevent Russia from interfering. We need the international community to be proactive and fast. pic.twitter.com/qfnsnPYBMZ
— Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaja (@Tsihanouskaja) May 15, 2023
On Sunday, Franak Viacorka, an adviser to Tsikhanouskaya, said the opposition was working on a joint plan of action “with democratic forces” for “when something happens”.
According to the Belarusian constitution, if Lukashenko is unable to rule, then in the capacity of caretaker, Lukashenko is transferred to the Speaker of the Upper House of Parliament until elections are held.
The current speaker is Natalya Kochanova, Lukashenko’s former chief of staff, who is considered a loyalist and hardliner.
Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, has used his powers to crack down on protests and impose long prison terms on opponents.