Without Prigozhin?
Minsk: Wagner mercenaries train troops in Belarus
07/14/2023 6:33 p.m
Prigozhin himself went into hiding after his march on Moscow. Many of his mercenaries still stand behind him. But some have now emerged in Belarus. At least that’s how it is presented by Minsk. The fighters are therefore training troops in neighboring Russia.
Mercenaries from the Russian private army Wagner have now arrived in Belarus after weeks of speculation about their whereabouts, according to information from Minsk. The Belarusian Ministry of Defense announced that the men had now started work as trainers for a number of military disciplines. The camp is located in Ossipowichi, around 100 kilometers south-east of the capital Minsk. The masked uniformed men could not be seen on a video. But you could see exercises with the weapon on a military training area.
A moderator in a ministry video said that the Wagner mercenaries shared their combat experience with the Belarusian armed forces. Soldiers in the country, which is a close ally of Russia under ruler Alexander Lukashenko and also gives up its territories for attacks on Ukraine, expressed their gratitude for the instructions in the clip. Lukashenko had announced that Wagner troops would settle in Belarus.
Soldiers for territorial defense are being trained, said officer Maxim Pajewski of the Belarusian General Staff. The video showed a tent camp for the soldiers. In the past few days, given the movement of troops on the streets, there had been speculation on social networks that the Wagner army could now be on its way to Belarus.
Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and dozens of his commanders met with President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin a few days after an uprising against the Russian military leadership that quickly ended on June 24. The Kremlin did not provide any information on the results of the three-hour debate. However, Putin and Lukashenko had informed that Wagner could find a new base in Belarus.
In Russia there is currently a debate about the legal status of the previously illegal private army, which, along with other similar groups, has so far been operating without a legal basis. The Wagner army, which occupied Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia during the revolt in June, has now handed over a large part of the weapons, ammunition and military technology to the Moscow Ministry of Defense. Putin had assured the insurgents of impunity and offered them contracts with the ministry. However, the majority is reportedly behind Prigozhin, who has gone into hiding. Officially, according to Prigozchin, the Wagner army has a break until the beginning of August.