Man jailed for riots against Putin ally — joined Putin’s army and died after weeks

The son of a former opposition presidential candidate has reportedly died on the front lines in Ukraine, fighting for Russia.

Killed weeks after joining

According to the independent Belarusian outlet Nasha Niva, Ivan Uss, son of former Belarusian presidential candidate Dmitry Uss, was killed while serving with Russian forces in Ukraine.

Ivan is said to have signed a contract with the Russian army on Jan. 17 this year, but died only weeks into his deployment. His death adds to the growing list of Belarusians who have joined and perished in Russia’s war.

From protester to pro-Russian fighter

In the 2010s, Ivan Uss was an administrator of the “Antimaidan Minsk” group on the Russian social network VKontakte, known for its pro-Kremlin stance.

Yet in 2020, he joined street protests against Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, for which he was jailed for 15 days. The brief episode of dissent contrasts sharply with his later decision to fight for Moscow.

His father, Dmitry Uss, is a businessman and founder of a cartography company where Ivan also worked.

Dmitry once ran against Lukashenko in the 2010 presidential election, receiving less than 0.4% of the vote before being imprisoned for organizing mass riots.

He was later pardoned after five months in custody.

Belarusian recruits in Russia’s war

Belarus remains one of Russia’s closest allies in the invasion of Ukraine.

Since 2022, Moscow has reportedly recruited hundreds of Belarusians through draft offices operating inside the country.

According to the Ukrainian project I Want to Live, at least 314 Belarusian citizens have been killed while fighting alongside Russian forces.

On average, these recruits die about 6.5 months after signing their contracts, many serving in the 150th Motorized Rifle Division, with some reportedly drawn from Russian prisons.

This article is made and published by Kathrine Frich, which may have used AI in the preparation