Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “The Mazyr Oil Refinery is a clear and painful example of how Lukashenka’s mistakes are destroying our economy and the well-being of Belarusians.
Until 2022, Ukraine was the refinery’s largest and most profitable market. Belarusian gasoline and diesel accounted for up to 50% of the Ukrainian market. But Belarus’s involvement in the war put an end to that. At the same time, selling fuel to Russia — which is then used by the Russian military — has also made the Mazyr Oil Refinery a legitimate target for military strikes.
One can also recall Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s interview, in which he said that Lukashenka had proposed striking the refinery himself.
The inclusion of the Mazyr Oil Refinery in the EU’s 21st sanctions package is a direct consequence of the regime’s actions. The refinery will now be unable to purchase European equipment or use licensed European software. Financial results have been kept secret for several years, but we understand that the refinery’s more than 5,000 employees will feel the consequences of the regime’s mistakes.
The worst part is that ordinary Belarusians always end up paying the price for the regime’s decisions. Today, it means lost factories and markets; tomorrow, it will mean rising prices, meager wages, and a complete lack of prospects”.
