The chief of Belarus's secret police, the KGB, says Ukrainian citizen Pavlo Sharoyko, who was sentenced to eight years in prison on espionage charges in May, could soon be pardoned.

Valery Vakulchyk told reporters in Minsk on October 5 that the possibility of pardoning Sharoyko's is currently under discussion.

Sharoyko was detained in October 2017 by the KGB under the accusation of being part of a spy ring working for Ukraine's Defense Ministry.

Kyiv denied the Belarusian accusations.

Ukraine and Belarus expelled each other's diplomats after Sharoyko's arrest.

Vakulchyk also said that Belarus expelled two foreigners for "spying activities earlier this week."

He did not specify the expelled individuals' nationalities.

With reporting by BelTA and Belapan