Wagner fighters in Belarus, neighbors say

Wagner Group forces have moved into Belarus, following a short-lived Russian mercenary revolt against the Kremlin last month, according to Ukrainian and Polish officials.

Andriy Demchenko, a spokesman for Ukraine’s Border Guard Service, said in the Telegram Post on Saturday that Wagner forces had been seen moving from Russia into Belarus.

The Polish deputy coordinator of special services, Stanislav Zarin, also said Saturday that the latest intelligence indicates that Russian mercenaries have arrived in Belarus.

Zarin said in a Post the video to Twitter. “But one thing is certain — the Wagner Group is being deployed to Belarus to fulfill a mission of some kind.”

The Belarusian Ministry of Defense released a video on Friday showing Wagner forces training Belarusian forces.

Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin launched an insurrection against Moscow late last month, calling for the ouster of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu after months of criticism over the way Russia’s military leadership was conducting the war in Ukraine.

Eventually he and his forces halted their advance towards Moscow, after Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko negotiated a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Prigozhin and the forces that took part in the rebellion did not face charges and were allowed to leave Russia for neighboring Belarus.