Third column of Wagner fighters arrived in Belarus – Belarusian media
Read NV on Google
Another column of Wagner private military company fighters has arrived in Belarus, according to the monitoring group the Belarusian Hajun on Telegram on July 17.
The column is said
to be moving towards Asipovichy and the camp in the village of Tsel, along the
M5 highway from Babruysk.
The newly arrived
column comprises a minimum of 20 vehicles of different types, including UAZ
Patriots, pickups, bread trucks, construction equipment, buses, and trucks.
Notably, these
vehicles were flying Russian flags, bearing the insignia of the Wagner PMC.
Based on updated
details, this marks at least the third column of fighters to arrive in Belarus
since July 11.
On July 14, the
Ministry of Defense of Belarus announced that Wagner PMC fighters had reached a
field camp near the city of Asipovichy in Mogilev Oblast. Their purpose in
Belarus is to provide training to the country’s troops as instructors.
Furthermore, on
July 15, the Belarusian Hajun reported the presence of a substantial convoy ofpassenger and cargo vehicles in Belarus, displaying license plates associated
with the so-called “DPR” and “LPR,” pro-Russian military formations from
Donbas. Various factors indicate that this equipment belongs to the Wagner PMC.
Wagner fighters in Belarus: What is known
On June 24, the
founder and leader of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, ended their one-day
rebellion after negotiations with self-proclaimed Belarusian president
Alexander Lukashenko. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin presented the Wagner
troops with three options, one of which involved their deployment to Belarus.
Shortly after,
reports emerged of camp constructions in Belarus intended to accommodate the
Wagner fighters. Satellite images of a potential private military contractor
field camp were subsequently released. While Lukashenko denied the existence of
any camps specifically for the Wagner troops, he mentioned that they would be
“provided with accommodation” if necessary.
According to the
State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, Belarus has the capacity to host
approximately 8,000 Wagner PMC mercenaries. However, Ukrainian intelligence
cautioned against premature conclusions regarding the transfer of Wagner
fighters to Belarus.
Later, information
surfaced suggesting that the Wagner fighters in Belarus would be involved in
training Belarusian nationals for combat. This statement was supported by NATO
Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, and on July 12, the Ministry of Internal
Affairs of Belarus confirmed negotiations regarding the training of Belarusian
special forces.
Meanwhile, the
State Border Guard Service of Ukraine announced on July 14 that Russia had
withdrawn nearly all of its military personnel from Belarus.
The military war may be swinging in our favor, but the information war continues.
Just as an army needs soldiers, so does a free society need its journalists to ensure that people have access to honest, trustworthy voices to understand the world around them.
For the past five years, The New Voice of Ukraine has been working tirelessly to push back against Russian narratives and defend democracy. But we cannot do it alone.
Please consider supporting us on Patreon for just $5 a month – your donation does directly to supporting journalists and ensuring that this front of the infowar says solid and defended.
Thank you.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
