Russian Wagner mercenaries are now in Belarus after their uprising. There are fears of an attack on surrounding NATO territory.
Moscow – The short-lived insurgency of the Wagner group in Russia led to the end of Wagner’s presence on Russian soil. Hundreds of mercenaries from Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin are stationed in neighboring Belarus and are training the military of ruler Alexander Lukashenko there. This is causing concern, especially in Poland. The Russian opposition politician Ilya Ponomarew suspects bad things: guerrilla actions against Polish territory.
Still good relationship with Putin? Kremlin experts comment on Prigozhin’s mutiny
If Ponomarev has his way, the Kremlin bosses understand each other Wladimir Putin and Prigozhin still very good. “I do think it was a real coup,” he said on the US broadcaster CNN with a view to the Wagner mutiny. However, it was not a coup against the Russian president, but against the Russian military. Putin was aware of the coup.
“I think Putin knew that Prigozhin would not oppose him,” said the opposition politician. The Kremlin boss took measures, but at the end of the day he trusted the Wagner leader. The Meeting in the Kremlin between Putin and Wagner commanders including Prigozhin just days after the mutiny proves this, Ponomarev finds. “And that worries me,” he said.
Opposition politician suspects plans against NATO: What are Putin and Prigozhin planning?
It’s not about Ukraine: Prigozhin could now turn against NATO, the opposition politician fears. “There is a rail link between Russia and Kaliningrad,” Ponomarev noted, warning that Prigozhin could launch provocations there. In this case, Putin would be off the hook: According to the Kremlin expert, the Wagner boss would act as a non-state actor and not from Russia, but from Belarus. So Putin can say that it has nothing to do with him.
According to the Belarusian Defense Ministry, Belarusian soldiers are currently conducting joint maneuvers Wagner mercenaries right on the border with Poland. According to the Ministry in Minsk, “training and combat tasks” will be carried out near the city of Brest.
Lukashenko’s army trains with Wagner: concern in Poland
In Poland, Wagner’s presence right on the border is perceived as a serious threat. Poland now wants to move more troops east. According to a report by the PAP news agency, a government representative did not give figures on how many soldiers should change location. Two Polish brigades are currently practicing in the eastern region.
The Polish citizens on the border with Belarus are looking at the developments with great concern. The sounds of battle of the exercises of the Belarusian military and Wagner mercenaries can be heard in the border region. “We only hear helicopters flying sometimes. When they fly, the windows shake,” farmer Adam Ligor told the broadcaster nv. The village leader of the Kolpin-Ogrodniki municipality on the border, Agata Moroz, also reported the sounds of shooting and explosions: “A few days ago they shot a little too, sometimes these explosions are stronger.”
Kremlin boss Putin threatened Warsaw because of the troop deployment. “Belarus is part of the union state. And unleashing aggression against Belarus would mean aggression against the Russian Federation. We will respond to this with all the means at our disposal,” Putin said. (bb)
#Kremlin #experts #expect #Wagner #guerrilla #actions #eastern #flank