Valery Sakhashchyk
Valery Sakhashchyk | |
|---|---|
Валерый Сахашчык | |
Sakhashchyk in 2022 | |
| Member of the United Transitional Cabinet for Defence and Security | |
| In office 9 August 2022 – 1 August 2024 | |
| President | Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya |
| Succeeded by | Vadzim Kabanchuk |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Valery Stepanovich Sakhashchik 13 August 1964 Goshava, Drahichyn District, Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Political party | Independent |
| Education | Moscow Higher Military Command School |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
|
| Branch/service | Airborne forces Special Forces of Belarus Main Directorate of Intelligence (Ukraine) |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Battles/wars | Russian invasion of Ukraine |
Valery Stepanovich Sakhashchyk (Belarusian: Валерый Сцяпанавіч Сахашчык, romanized: Valeryj Sciapanavič Sachaščyk, Russian: Валерий Степанович Сахащик; born 13 August 1964) is a former commander of the Belarusian 38th Separate Guards Air Assault Brigade. Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Sakhashchyk launched video appeals calling for Belarusian forces to refuse to participate in any attack against Ukraine. From 9 August 2022 to 1 August 2024, he was the effective defence minister of the Belarusian United Transitional Cabinet, a government-in-exile opposed to the de facto government of Alexander Lukashenko.
Sakhashchyk was involved in organizing the 1st Separate Air Assault Company "Belarus", a unit of Belarusian volunteers fighting within the 79th Air Assault Brigade of Ukraine. He also personally took part in military operations.