Lukashenko reshuffles Belarus' KGB, bolsters Security Council's authority

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has approved a series of senior appointments within the country's State Security Committee (KGB), while outlining plans to strengthen the coordinating role of the State Secretariat of the Security Council.

The appointments were announced on Thursday (July 23), according to the Belarusian state news agency BELTA.

During a meeting on the changes, Lukashenko said the responsibilities of the security service had been updated and clarified. He stressed that the State Secretariat and its State Secretary would play a greater role in overseeing organisational and personnel matters across Belarus' security agencies.

At the same time, the Belarusian leader said highly sensitive intelligence matters, including foreign intelligence operations and agent networks, would continue to be reported exclusively to the president.

"Only the President should know about these. They must not be disseminated or spread further," Lukashenko said, referring to intelligence-related information.

He added that while operational intelligence would remain under presidential oversight, the State Secretariat should supervise organisational and кадровые issues across all security bodies and report directly to the head of state.

By Aghakazim Guliyev