Ukraine confirms the presence of Wagner mercenaries in Belarus

July 15 () –

The Ukrainian Border Guard (DPSU) has confirmed this Saturday the presence of fighters from the Russian mercenary organization Wagner Group in Belarusian territory.

Now the DPSU is assessing how many “militants” are in Belarus, as well as their exact location and claims. Specifically, a convoy of about 60 Wagner vehicles has been detected that has crossed the border between Russia and Belarus early on Saturday.

A DPSU spokesman, Andrii Demchenko, confirmed Wagner’s presence in Belarus this morning and stressed that the Border Guard “continues to monitor the situation” on the northern border.

The Telegram channel Belaruski Hajun, linked to the Belarusian opposition, has also reported a number of convoys of Wagner forces that had entered Belarus from Russia. The convoy was escorted by Belarusian traffic police and in it were trucks, vans and buses traveling in the direction of Osipovichi, some 85 kilometers southeast of the capital Minsk.

Wagner has been one of the spearheads of the Russian military offensive into Ukraine, and his fighters often hail from Russian prisons.

Wagner’s forces led by their leader, Yevgeni Prigozhin, launched a rebellion against the Kremlin and a march on Moscow that they stopped some 200 kilometers from the Russian capital.

Russian President Vladimir Putin offered the militants to join the Army or go to Ukraine in exchange for not taking action against them.

On Friday it was the Belarusian Defense Ministry that reported the presence of Wagner, whose members would work as instructors for the Belarusian military teaching “various military disciplines” near Osipovichi.