Additional mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner Group, the organization behind the armed insurgency, have reportedly entered Belarus.
On July 17, the Associated Press, citing the Belarusian military activity watchdog Belarusian Harjun Project, reported that more than 100 vehicles flying the Russian flag and Wagner insignia entered Belarus and traveled toward a camp provided by the Belarusian government.
The convoy of vehicles included large trucks and trailers carrying construction equipment, the group explained, marking the third trip by Wagnerian mercenaries to Belarus since last week.
On April 14, the Belarusian Defense Ministry said that Wagner Group mercenaries were training Belarusian soldiers near the small town of Ashpovich, about 90 kilometers southeast of the capital Minsk, and released a video of the training in which the mercenaries serve as instructors.
Photos have also been released showing the head of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, staying at a mercenaries’ camp in Belarus.
The Belarusian Defense Ministry has not detailed the number of Wagnerian troops in the country.
Meanwhile, Belarusian President Lukashenko has signed a bill ratifying an agreement with Russia on the operation of a joint training center, according to the Belarusian presidential office.
“Belarus has ratified an agreement with Russia on the establishment and operation of joint training centers for military personnel,” the Belarusian presidential office said, 먹튀검증토토사이트 according to Tass news agency. “The agreement regulates the issues of establishing and operating training centers at military bases in Belarus and Russia and outlines the procedure for cooperation between the two defense ministries to ensure their core tasks and operations.”
In November of last year, the Belarusian Defense Ministry announced that three bilateral training centers were in operation, two in Belarus and one in Russia.