Context: On December 13, 2025, following a meeting between Alexander Lukashenko and U.S. special envoy to Belarus John Coale, 123 political prisoners were released. Among them were Maria Kalesnikava, Viktar Babaryka, several Ukrainian citizens and nationals of other countries. In return, the United States will lift sanctions on Belarusian potash. Commenting on the move, Coale said that another 1,000 people could be released in the coming months. This time, most of those released were taken to Ukraine. Over the weekend, Belarusians raised more than €240,000 for them.
On December 11, 2025, hosts Ludmila Hladkaya, Yauhen Horyn and Ryhor Azaronak discussed the financing of the Belarusian opposition on the Letuchka program on the SBTV YouTube channel.
“This week, they once again received €30 million from Europe in funds, donations and grants. This week, a person who had been living in a car in Poland died without any medical care. Another person died in a flophouse, in a refugee shelter. … And that same week, they (Tsikhanouskaya’s Office) bought property in Florence for their office and received €30 million for the ‘fight.’ And all of this is happening at the same time,” Azaronak said.
The claim most likely refers to a shelter for repressed Belarusians organized by the Belarusian diaspora in Florence. A photo from its opening was used by the Telegram channel ZhS Premium in a post that echoes Azaronak’s statement. A Belarusian Democratic Community Center was also opened in Florence.
The center and the shelter are two separate projects. Both were initiated by Belarusians themselves, with Tsikhanouskaya helping to promote them during meetings with local authorities. A shelter for six to seven people was opened in Florence to help those persecuted by the regime, giving them a place to live, at least initially. No property was purchased.
“All of the premises are owned by Italians, and we did not purchase anything — everything is rented under official contracts. In the first case, the shelter is leased from an organization, because it is social housing. In the second case, it is leased from a private individual,” Yuliya Yukhno, head of the center and a representative of the People’s Embassy in Italy, told journalists with the WTF project.
A small portion of the center’s expenses is covered by Tsikhanouskaya’s Office, Yukhno added: “The shelter is funded entirely with Italian money. It should be noted that this is not ongoing, long-term funding — it is provided for one year at a time, and new funding has to be secured each time.”
