Thirty-six-year-old Mozyr blogger Maxim Shukanov had over 6,000 subscribers on the Union Bell YouTube channel. He analyzed political processes and told the truth about the war between Russia and Ukraine. Sometimes these videos garnered tens of thousands of views.
Even after the repression intensified, Maxim didn't leave the country. Together with his fiancée, Polina Zyl—also a blogger—he went underground.
The couple avoided contact with the Belarusian government, but in February 2025, they were finally forced to seek medical attention, as Maxim's health problems worsened following the arrest of his father, Igor Shukanava, an employee of the Mozyr Oil Refinery.
When a wanted person seeks medical attention with their passport, the police receive a tip. This is likely what happened in the blogger's case.
The situation was doubly dramatic because it also led to the arrest of Polina Zyl.
