The Russian Wagner militia is still present in Belarus. Their presence could benefit Russia's war effort.
Minsk/London – There are still said to be around 1,000 fighters in the Russian private army wagner stay in Belarus. British secret services assume this. Their location is not chosen arbitrarily: the mercenaries once led by Yevgeny Prigozhin are said to be near the Ukrainian border in order to concentrate opposing forces there for the purpose of a possible attack.
“The continued presence of the Wagner mercenaries will almost certainly also benefit Russia’s war effort,” the British ministry wrote X, formerly Twitter. The Ukraine will be forced to maintain defensive positions and personnel along its northern border with Belarus to protect against future incursions.
However, it is unlikely that the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko will use the remaining Wagner fighters beyond their current tasks and attack Ukraine. In any case, such a move would not be the responsibility of Lukashenko, but of Putin or his generals.
Wagner Militia: There were once 8,000 mercenaries in Belarus
Currently, the Wagner mercenaries are almost certainly training Belarusian soldiers and security forces, the British Ministry of Defense said. They would not be used for border protection tasks or the internal security of the former Soviet republic.
The militia came into the country in June 2023 after mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin failed in an uprising against the Russian military leadership. Prigozhin died a few weeks later in a plane crash, the cause of which is still speculated to this day. Originally there were 8,000 private army fighters in the country allied with Russiait continued in London.
The British Ministry of Defense has been publishing since the beginning of the Ukraine war, which celebrated its second anniversary in February, provides daily information on the course of the war. Moscow accuses London of disinformation. The fact is, however, that the Wagner Group was repeatedly deployed in Ukraine. The militia became particularly known for the months-long fighting around the small town of Bakhmut.
Russia swallows the Wagner Group: mercenaries are integrated into the National Guard
At the beginning of February, British secret services also reported that Russia to further expand his control over the Wagner mercenary group. The Russian National Guard is integrating three of Wagner's former combat units into its first volunteer corps. The British wrote on Platform
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a requirement on December 25 that the National Guard could set up its own volunteer troops, the British wrote. The National Guard will probably do this use in Ukraine or Africa. Other Wagner mercenaries switched to the regular army or left the service. (nak/dpa)
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