Policemen in mufti with walkie-talkies stood along the way from Independence Palace to airport

Minsk police is working today according to a heavy security regime.

As said by an officer of one of district police departments of Minsk, all policemen were called for work today. They were warned that it is possible they would have to work all night. To the questions about safety measures in connection with the summit, the spokesperson of Minsk police Alyaksandr Lastouski stated that there is no extraordinary mobilization, but it is true that heavy security had been imposed, Radio Svaboda informs.

“It is true that a great number of personal is used. But it should be understood that different police services should work. Criminal world does not sleep either, they are looking for every opportunity to stay unattended. Actually, there is a diplomatic protocol, demands of security, which concern us, and we should keep to them,” he said.

On the outside the number of policemen in uniform in central Minsk has not grown. Traffic policemen are an exception. On the afternoon they occupied positions at key crossings of Independence Avenue, Victors’ Avenue and Arlouskaya Street near the Palace of Independence. But in the evening policemen on duty, in uniform and in mufti with walkie-talkies in their hands came into view there. Their responsibility is to monitor the situation and inform about any suspicious thing to their superior. As informed by a journalist Ihar Karnei, who came to Minsk-2 airport, the same policemen on duty stool all along the road to the airport:

“Traffic police cars are found on every crossing and turnout. A person in mufti, in a hat, also stood behind every transformer house, every 2-3kilometres. Lots of police cars are near the airport, but there are no armed military men there.”

Photo: Reuters/Valentyn Ogirenko