Belarusian Volunteer Alexei Lazarev Falls in Battle for Ukraine

Alexei Lazarev: A Belarusian Citizen and Defender of Ukraine

According to Главком: Alexei Lazarev, a citizen of the Republic of Belarus, was killed in action on January 19, 2026, while defending Ukraine against Russian forces. He served as a volunteer with both the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment and the 225th Separate Assault Battalion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Lazarev was born in Minsk on March 26, 1998, where he studied at Belarusian State University to become a software engineer and later worked in programming. His death highlights the significant number of Belarusians who have joined Ukraine's fight, often motivated by opposition to the regimes in both Moscow and Minsk.

Political Activism and Wartime Service

Lazarev was also a political activist in Belarus. In 2019, he became one of the youngest candidates in the country's parliamentary elections. Following the disputed 2020 presidential election, which sparked mass protests, he actively participated in demonstrations against the results. Lazarev assisted election observers at polling stations in Minsk but was forced to flee the country due to the threat of imprisonment. He initially settled in Georgia before moving to Lviv, Ukraine.

In the spring of 2022, Alexei Lazarev and Veranika Yanovich voluntarily joined the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment. With the onset of the full-scale invasion, he participated in the defense of Kyiv. Lazarev fought for Ukraine on the Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk fronts as part of the Kalinoŭski Regiment, and later on the northern-Slobozhanske and Zaporizhzhia fronts as a member of the 225th Separate Assault Battalion.

Alexei Lazarev is survived by his wife, parents, and brother. His heroism and dedication to the defense of Ukraine will remain in the memory of those who knew him.

The death of Alexei Lazarev is another testament to how the conflict in Ukraine has drawn foreign volunteers willing to fight for the country's independence and territorial integrity.

His journey from a political activist in Belarus to a defender of Ukraine underscores the complexity of modern geopolitical realities and the interconnected struggle for democratic values across the region. This situation reflects the broader involvement of Belarusian citizens in the ongoing war and their role in supporting Ukrainian statehood.