Belarus Zelensky relies on drones, Lukashenko on German hostage

While Belarus' ruler Alexander Lukashenko visits Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in Russia, state television in Minsk publishes an interview with a German sentenced to death - sending a message to the West.

A German facing execution in Belarus (formerly Belarus) pleaded with ruler Alexander Lukashenko for clemency in a video broadcast on state television.

The German government was doing nothing to save him, the man said. According to the authorities in Minsk, he had been convicted of terrorism on behalf of the Ukrainian secret service, among other things. "I plead guilty, definitely," he said. Some of the German statements were clearly audible between the Russian translation.

Authoritarian Belarus is the last country in Europe to still carry out the death penalty, which is carried out by firing squad. The Federal Foreign Office in Berlin had stated that the case was known. The man is receiving consular assistance. The death penalty is a cruel and inhumane form of punishment that Germany rejects under all circumstances, it said. However, the office did not comment on a negotiation offer submitted by Minsk.

Is Minsk interested in prisoner exchange?

The man said in the video that only his own family was still fighting for his life and that no one from the official side was standing up for him. "I'm still alive, there's still time to negotiate, it's not too late," he pleaded. "The government should fight for me." In the video, which was apparently launched by the Belarusian leadership, the convict tearfully asked to see his daughter, his girlfriend and his father again.

The Foreign Ministry in Minsk announced that it had made suggestions to Berlin on how to resolve the situation. No details were given.

There has been speculation that Belarus, which is allied with Russia, could be seeking a prisoner exchange. Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin is interested in the return of a Russian who was convicted in Germany for a murder in Berlin's Kleiner Tiergarten on behalf of Russian authorities. Putin received Lukashenko on the monastery island of Valaam in Lake Ladoga near St. Petersburg.

Selensky praises own arms industry

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the progress made in the country's own arms industry. "It is very important that foreign money is finally really and visibly working in arms production, and that is our great achievement," said Zelensky in his daily video address. The sector is no longer only supported by state investment, but also attracts funds from partners. He cited the construction of missiles and long-range drones as examples.

Ukraine is preparing steps to extend the range of drones even further. Most recently, Ukrainian drones struck the Russian republic of Tatarstan, among others. Tatarstan is around 1000 kilometers from the border with Ukraine.

Ukraine: Border guards prevent over 20 men from escaping

However, despite Ukraine's individual successes with drones, the country is still under pressure on the front. The demand for new recruits is high, but many young Ukrainians are trying to escape: The Ukrainian border guard has now prevented over two dozen conscripted men from fleeing abroad. According to information from the border guards, eleven men were apprehended in the Vinnytsia region and a further 15 in the Odessa region on the border with the Republic of Moldova. Some of the men were trying to reach the Transnistria region, which is controlled by pro-Russian separatists.

Russian tank runs over car in border region

Some Russian soldiers are apparently lacking discipline: according to media reports, a tank ran over a car in the Russian border region of Belgorod. According to the regional internet portal "Pepel", the driver of the car died at the scene of the accident. According to the report, the tank disregarded the right of way at a junction. According to the photos, it drove about 100 meters after the accident before stopping. "According to eyewitnesses, the tank crew was in an insane state and was... laughed," it said. It remained unclear whether the soldiers were sober.

Russia has been waging a war of aggression against neighboring Ukraine for over two years. There are repeated reports of marauding Russian soldiers in the neighboring country.

According to the Russian government, soldiers in the war zone should be allowed to keep their driving license for the time being, even after accidents or drunk driving. However, this lax attitude has repeatedly led to fatal incidents at home. At the beginning of July, for example, drunken soldiers flattened a car and its driver in the Belgorod region. They then tried to flee. Criminal proceedings have since been initiated against the tank driver.

SDA