Did the Ukrainian government start the process of dissolving the Kastus Kalinouski Regiment, a volunteer group of Belarusians fighting in Ukraine? No, that's not true: There is no evidence the regiment is being dissolved or that its members will be deported from Ukraine.
The story appeared in a video (archived here) published on TikTok by sotniktiktok on September 8, 2023. The text on the video (translated from Russian by Lead Stories staff) reads:
The Ukrainian government is disbanding "Kalinouski" regiment. Social media outlets spread information about stopping volunteer recruitment as well as financing the useless organization. The Defense Ministry is carrying out the deportation of Kalinouski fighters from Ukraine
This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:
(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Tue Sep 12 08:12:42 2023 UTC)
The pro-Ukranian Kastus Kalinouski Regiment is made up of Belarusian volunteers, who are fighting alongside Ukraine's Armed Forces. The regiment was recognized for its efforts by Ukraine's Ministry of Defense on August 25, 2023 and by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on September 7, 2023.
On September 5, 2023, the regiment announced it was terminating its recruitment efforts, though weeks later it announced it was renewing its efforts. The regiment denied it was disbanding.
