Russian troops are trying to sell looted Ukrainian goods in Belarus, Ukrainian defense ministry says
- Russian troops are selling goods stolen from Ukrainians, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said.
- They "arranged a specialized bazaar" in a small town in Belarus, officials said.
Russian troops have opened a market in Belarus to sell goods that they stole from Ukrainians during the invasion, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said.
The defense ministry said Russians are selling "washing machines and dishwashers, refrigerators, precious jewelry, cars, bicycles, motorcycles, dishes, carpets, artworks, children's toys, cosmetics."
"That is, everything that the Russians have gained by looting and robbing the civilians in Ukraine," the ministry said in a Facebook post on Saturday, adding that the Russians "arranged a specialized bazaar" in the small Belarusian town of Naroulia.
The defense ministry said that a Russian "column of trucks with various properties - industrial goods and household things" is currently moving from the Ukrainian city of Buryn towards the Russian border.
Meanwhile, in the Belarusian city of Mozir, Russian troops are "unloading packages with things obtained by looting" from Russian military vehicles, the ministry said.
Ukraine's foreign affairs ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said Thursday that Ukrainians "will never forget" the looting "of ordinary people."
"As Russian troops retreat from the Kyiv region after having sustained immense losses, they are looting houses of ordinary people," Nikolenko tweeted. "Electronics, clothes, shoes, cosmetics. This is not an army. This is a disgrace. We will never forget and we will never forgive."
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has dragged on into its sixth week, with unsuspecting Russian troops facing fierce resistance from Ukraine.
Russia's Defense Ministry announced last week that it would reduce its military assaults on Kyiv and Chernihiv, although the United States has remained skeptical of those claims.
"We believe that this is a repositioning, not a real withdrawal, and that we all should be prepared to watch for a major offensive against other areas of Ukraine," Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said.