RUSSIA – The Russian Foreign Intelligence (SVR) on Monday warned that there’s a planned, western-backed coup in Belarus, set to coincide with the 2030 presidential election.

“NGOs in Western nations, including ‘democratizing’ structures, agencies and foundations in the US as well as Britain, Germany, Poland and other European nations are building up assets to again attempt to destabilize the situation and change the constitutional order in Belarus,” SVR said in a statement.

The initial work according to the SVR is collecting opposition activists in the country, in order to establish a “color revolution.”

“The fugitive figures, led by (Svetlana) Tikhanovskaya, who have entrenched themselves in Lithuania and Poland in recent years, have revealed their complete inability to influence processes in their home country,” SVR added.

It warned Belarusian citizens against partnering with foreign destabilization efforts, adding that there’ several examples like “Ukraine, Moldova and other nations” which were “destroyed in the name of Western geopolitical ambitions under slogans calling for the protection of democracy and human rights.”

Belarus is a key Russian ally which in 2020 elections saw violent clashes, but were later quelled and peace restored.

According to the SVR, the coup attempt is intended to weaken the relations between Russia and Belarus.