Britain take note: if you want to beat Putin in Ukraine, target his wicked little helper in Belarus | Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

Alexander Lukashenko put our airbases and resources at Russia's disposal. His fall would accelerate victory for Ukraine

Last week, residents of Machulishchy were intrigued as soldiers and police swarmed across their small town on the edge of Minsk, the capital of Belarus.

Cordons and checkpoints were hastily erected for miles around the local airbase, which has played host to Russia's forces during its abominable war against Ukraine.