Wednesday, October 23

Flying Russian flags, extra Wagner troops roll into Belarus as a part of deal that ended their mutiny

More mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner navy contractor rolled into Belarus Monday, a monitoring group mentioned, persevering with their relocation to the ex-Soviet nation following final month’s short-lived mutiny.

Belaruski Hajun, a Belarusian activist group that screens troops actions in Belarus, mentioned {that a} convoy of about 20 autos carrying Russian flags and Wagner insignia entered the nation Monday heading towards a discipline camp that Belarusian authorities had supplied to the corporate.

The group mentioned it was a 3rd Wagner convoy coming into the nation since final week.



Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who brokered a deal that ended final month’s rise up launched by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, has mentioned that his nation’s navy may gain advantage from the mercenaries’ fight expertise.

On Friday, Belarusian state TV broadcast video of Wagner instructors coaching Belarusian territorial protection forces at a firing vary within the Asipovichy area, the place a camp supplied to Wagne r is situated.

A Belarusian messaging app channel alleged final week that Prigozhin spent an evening on the camp close to Tsel, about 90 kilometers (about 55 miles) southeast of Minsk, and posted a photograph of him in a tent.

In the revolt that began on June 23 and lasted lower than 24 hours, Prigozhin’s mercenaries shortly swept by way of the southern Russian metropolis of Rostov-on-Don and captured the navy headquarters there with out firing a shot, earlier than driving to inside about 200 kilometers (125 miles) of Moscow. Prigozhin known as it a “march of justice” to oust Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and General Staff chief Gen. Valery Gerasimov, who demanded that Wagner signal contracts with the Defense Ministry.

The mutiny confronted little resistance and the mercenaries downed no less than six navy helicopters and a command publish plane, killing no less than 10 airmen. Prigozhin ordered his troops again to their camps after putting a deal to finish the rise up in alternate for an amnesty for him and his males, and permission to maneuver to Belarus. The phrases of the deal and Prigozhin’s destiny have remained murky.

The Belarusian Defense Ministry didn’t say what number of Wagner troops had been in Belarus. Lukashenko has beforehand mentioned it was as much as Prigozhin and Moscow to resolve on a transfer to Belarus. The Kremlin has kept away from remark.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared that Wagner troops had a selection between signing contracts with the Defense Ministry, shifting to Belarus or retiring from service. Putin mentioned final week that he supplied Wagner officers the choice of constant to function a single unit underneath their similar commander when he met with them 5 days after the rise up.

Putin’s feedback appeared to mirror his efforts to safe the loyalty of Wagner mercenaries, a few of the most succesful Russian forces in Ukraine, after the group’s temporary revolt final month that posed essentially the most critical menace to his 23-year rule.

The Russian Defense Ministry mentioned final week that Wagner was finishing the handover of its weapons to the Russian navy, a part of efforts by Russian authorities to defuse the menace posed by the mercenaries that appeared to herald an finish to their operations in Ukraine the place they’d performed a outstanding position as probably the most succesful components of Russian forces.

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