Here are the main points from the article:
* Belarus has updated its criminal code to make it a crime to share content featuring the military during wartime, emergencies, or counter-terrorist operations without permission.
* Violations of this law can result in up to three years in prison, or six years if premeditated and causing significant damage.
* The updated code also introduces a new status for “a president who ceased to fulfill his duties” and criminalizes violence, threats, and libel against the current president, Alexander Lukashenko.
* A Russian drone crashed into high-voltage power lines at a thermal power plant in Belarus, causing a local blackout.
* Russia has been increasing its drone incursions into Belarusian airspace since July 2024, with over 500 drones recorded flying over the country.
* Belarus received its lowest ever ranking in the Freedom in the World report, ranking 192-194th out of 207 countries and territories worldwide for political and civil liberties.
* The report also notes Belarus’s role in indoctrinating Ukrainian children who were forcibly deported from occupied territories and its repression of lawyers.
* The article suggests that Belarus is becoming increasingly repressive under Lukashenko’s rule.