'They Stink A Lot': Belarusian Local People Reveal Bizarre Behavior Of Russian Soldiers

Days after the Russian troops were redeployed from Kyiv, Belarusian local people have opened up about the erratic behavior of soldiers camping in the cities of Mazyr and Brahin, calling their presence in the country "horror."

According to a resident of Mazyr, a city in Belarus, large groups of Russian soldiers have crowded into the town’s bars and stores, surrounding and harassing people.

"They also stink a lot. You can tell by the smell when you go to the store that they are here. After all, I don’t think they bathe. The commanders live in normal conditions in the hotel 'Pripyat,' soldiers in the woods in tents and even in barns. In the village of Prudok, they live in farm barns. They sleep on the mats there. Maybe that's why they stink," the resident who identified himself as Maxim told Radio Free Europe.

He added that one of his acquaintances was harassed by soldiers who appeared to be from central Russia or as far away as Siberia. "The Russians, they behave like they’re masters of the universe," he added.

There are reports that the Russian soldiers returning or redeploying from Ukraine were also trying to sell looted goods, including diesel fuel from military supplies, to Belarusians in southern border districts. "Their drivers sell diesel fuel for 15 rubles per canister. They take the "trophies" from Ukraine, looted, and offer them for sale to locals. Refrigerators, household appliances, tires and whatever comes to hand," Ilya says.

The locals also complained about how Russians were buying up all the alcohol in stores. "Once, a Russian [soldier] grabbed vodka and wine, and then his [bank] card didn’t work. So he went and put everything back. But mostly they just buy everything. And take a lot of vodkas. Also sneakers, bread rolls and cigarettes," a local resident complained.

The Russian troops are now camping in the towns of Brahin and Narovlya.

"The columns of tanks, armored personnel carriers, and the Urals were endless. I tried to talk to the Russian military, but they were very angry. As far as I know, they are forbidden to contact us, to give any information," a resident of Brahin was quoted by Radio Svaboda, a sister concern of Radio Free Europe.

Lots of equipment and Russian troops are there in Narovlya too. The field hospital there tends to wounded Russians before they are taken to Mozyr or Gomel. "The field hospital is guarded from the outside by Russian soldiers. It is certain that no one took pictures. Helicopters mostly fly there. Many of them are circling over Narovlya, and they fly very low," a resident of Narovlya told the news outlet.

However, there are no Russian corpses in the Mozyr morgue now as they are immediately loaded and taken away.