Moscow has denied any links between the Belarus opposition and alleged Russian mercenaries detained this week in Belarus, a Russian diplomat in Minsk said, according to Russia's RIA news agency.
RIA also reported that Russian diplomats met the 33 suspected mercenaries arrested in Belarus.
The Belarusian authorities say they believe the husband of opposition presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanouskaya may have ties to the detained group and have launched a criminal case against him on suspicion of inciting riots.