Former fighter of the Kalinouski Regiment Maksim Ralko has been sentenced to 10 years in a high-security prison. He was also ordered to pay USD 14,500 deemed as “criminal income”.
The trial took place at the Minsk City Court. The verdict has not yet entered into legal force and may be appealed.
According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, from April 2022 to January 2024, with a two-month break, Ralko “underwent training for subsequent participation in extremist activity and belonged to the extremist formation “Polk imia Kastusia Kalinouskaha” (until 21 May 2022 — “Batalion Kastusia Kalinouskaha”) as a fighter in various structural units”.
“He also, without authorisation from the state of his citizenship, took part in an armed conflict and military actions on the territory of Ukraine and recruited other persons for this purpose. In addition, the accused carried out other actions in the interests of a criminal organisation to ensure the seizure of state power in Belarus by unconstitutional means. He provided other assistance to extremist activity,” the Prosecutor General’s Office stated.
Ralko’s detention became known in November 2024. Propaganda outlets claimed that Ralko left the regiment, moved to Warsaw, and later decided to return to Belarus. He was detained at the Brest border checkpoint.
Maksim Ralko joined the Kalinouski Regiment in 2022 at the age of 21. He served in the rear, guarding the base and warehouses, and, according to fellow fighters, did not take part in combat missions, as previously reported by Mediazona.
Ralko left the regiment in early 2024 and moved to Warsaw. Friends helped him settle there. He rented an apartment in central Warsaw, began studying software testing, and attended IT meetups. He also planned to work again as a security guard in the Biedronka supermarket chain to avoid running out of money. A couple of months after returning from Ukraine to Poland, he went missing. He made contact in May 2024, saying he was in Germany and intended to apply for asylum.