No evidence of Wagner camps in Belarus yet – Ukraine’s border service

Currently, Ukraine’s border service does not record the construction of bases of PMC Wagner in Belarus, spokesman for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, Andriy Demchenko, told the Ukrainian media outlet Ukrainska Pravda, dispelling media reports about the start of their construction. The arrival of PMC Wagner fighters, who were a crucial force in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, to Belarus is expected after Russian President Putin allowed them to follow Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin to Belarus after a failed armed insurrection. Only 2% of his Wagner mercenaries wanted to become subordinate to Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Prigozhin said when explaining why he led his private army on a march on Moscow, an enterprise that was ultimately unsuccessful. On 25 June, Wagner troops withdrew from the Russian capital when they were 200 km away. Now, the fighters of the feared Wagner PMC have a choice of either becoming part of the Russian MoD, quitting, or joining their exiled leader, who had likely arrived in the Belarusian capital, Putin said. It is unclear how many mercenaries from Prigozhin’s 25,000-strong army, which fought now only in Ukraine but also in Syria, Mali, Lybia, and the Central African Republic, will join him. The relocation of a significant number of Wagner’s troops to Belarus would present new challenges for the security of Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, located not far from the Belarusian border. According to Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service, approximately 2,000 Russian military personnel currently stationed in Belarus are involved in military exercises. The situation in Belarus is being actively monitored by Ukraine’s intelligence, which has not yet recorded the appearance of Wagner mercenaries in Belarus or the movement of equipment near the border. At the same time, this direction always remains a threat, as Belarus continues to support Russia's aggression against Ukraine, that is why Ukraine’s defense forces continue to strengthen and reinforce the borderline with Belarus.