American Citizen Detained for Illegal Border Crossing Gives Interview

In a revealing interview with First News Channel a 27-year-old Anton Ross, an American citizen detained for illegally crossing the border, shared his story on April 3.

Ross was apprehended by Belarusian customs officials for illegal entry on the night of March 31 at the railway station in Molodechno. Following his detention, numerous rumors and speculations circulated online, with many mistakenly suggesting he was an American soldier who had fled from Lithuania during military exercises.

The border authorities have initiated administrative proceedings against the violator. Preliminary investigations revealed that Ross had attempted to enter Belarus twice on March 24: first in the morning at the "Kamenny Log" border crossing and again in the evening at the "Benyakoni" crossing. However, he was denied entry because he could not confirm that he had sufficient funds to cover his stay and exit from the country. In his interview, Anton explained the reasons behind his desperate desire to enter Belarus.

Anton Ross, American Citizen Detained for Illegal Border Crossing:

"I feel good, the food is excellent, and the conditions are great. It just so happened that I'm having trouble with my documents. In desperation, I made one last attempt to get here. I was in Belarus a few years ago, and I really liked it. I was in Minsk and was impressed by the cleanliness, the decency, the friendliness of the people, and the calm atmosphere. I was very inspired. I have acquaintances and friends here who are very honest and good people. I’ve encountered this again. I attended a Russian school for several years. Everything is fine; I’m being treated well. If there was a way for me to stay, I would do that. I want to tell my mom that everything is good here; I am well-fed, warm, and the conditions are good; everything is fine."

Ross also denied any association with reports claiming he was one of the American soldiers who went missing at a training ground.

Anton Ross:

"I have never served in any army. I have no relation to the situation where soldiers drowned; I’ve heard about it, but it has nothing to do with me."

The man also mentioned that he has some health issues, which are currently being addressed by Belarusian specialists.