Russia Says Military Help Available as Belarus Hosts Rival Protests

Russia Says Military Help Available as Belarus Hosts Rival Protests
A Belarus opposition supporter punches the air during a demonstration in central Minsk on Aug. 16, 2020. Sergei Gapon/AFP via Getty Images
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MINSK—Russia said on Sunday it had told Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko it was ready to offer military assistance if necessary as demonstrators held one of the biggest protests yet against Lukashenko’s contested re-election.

The protest in Minsk attracted tens of thousands of people, despite the deaths of at least two protesters and thousands of detentions since last Sunday’s vote.