Former Lukashenka Aide Ihar Brylo Sentenced to 12 Years

Former Aliaksandr Lukashenka aide for the Vitsyebsk region Ihar Brylo has been sentenced to 12 years in prison in a case linked to the Babushkina Krynka dairy holding company. The sentences in the “dairy case” were revealed to Nasha Niva.

Prosecutors had previously requested the same sentence for Brylo. According to the outlet, former Babushkina Krynka Director General Henadz Skitau was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Brylo reportedly actively cooperated with investigators, while Skitau refused to testify. As a result, the investigation was significantly prolonged.

The criminal case began with arrests in November 2023. Brylo, Skitau and a number of executives and employees of companies within the dairy holding company’s structure were arrested at the time.

According to the prosecution, the defendants organised a scheme under which artificial surpluses of products were created at the company’s warehouses. Dairy products were then sold to affiliated intermediaries at reduced prices and subsequently resold in Russia at market value. The participants in the scheme allegedly divided the resulting difference among themselves.

The trial began in September 2025 and ended several months ago. In addition to Brylo and Skitau, 15 other people were defendants in the case. Details of their sentences have not been published.

According to the outlet, in addition to the main defendants, those put on trial also included:

• Viktar Skitau, son of Henadz Skitau and director of Babushkina Krynka’s Minsk branch.
• Artsiom Zubel, first deputy director of Babushkina Krynka and son of a former deputy head of the Shchuchyn police.
• Halina Tsitsenkova, deputy director of Babushkina Krynka, who later headed the Novaya Druts farm in the Bialynichy district.
• Aliaksei Dranitsa, head of Babushkina Krynka’s foreign economic activity department.
• Dzianis Linnik, director of Babushkina Krynka’s Asipovichy branch and former head of the Barysau District Internal Affairs Department.
• Siarhei Petrazhytski, director of Vitsyebskmyasomolprom.
• Uladzimir Siruts, Henadz Skitau’s “closest friend” and head of several affiliated companies.
• Siarhei Kachanau, director of the Vitsyebsk-based Meat and Dairy Products concern.
• “Nikalaevich M. V.“, the full namesake of Mikhail Valiantsinavich Nikalaevich, former deputy chairman of the board of Technobank and deputy director of the Salihorsk football club Shakhtyor.
• Uladzimir Lisitsyn, founder of BelAgroGen Belarus.

The occupations of five other people before their arrests are not known with certainty: A. Charniak, A. Yashchanka, H. Kirakasian, A. Sabalkou and A. Pankau.

The defendants were charged under a number of corruption and economic provisions of the Belarusian Criminal Code. The charges in the case covered 12 articles, ranging from accepting and giving bribes to abuse of authority, misuse of power, fraud and mediation in bribery.