Ukraine’s border guard service has confirmed that Wagner Mercenaries, a Russian private military company, have entered Belarus from neighbouring Russia. The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (DPSU) is closely monitoring the situation to assess the number of “militants” present in Belarus, their exact location, and their objectives. Reports suggest that a convoy of approximately 60 Wagner vehicles crossed the border into Belarus early on Saturday, although this remains unconfirmed.
This development comes after a recent mutiny by Wagner mercenaries in Russia, which posed a challenge to President Vladimir Putin’s authority. The rebellion, which lasted for 24 hours, saw the troops seize a city and march toward Moscow before being halted just 200 kilometres from the capital. As part of an agreement to end the mutiny, Wagner fighters were given the option to join the regular Russian army or relocate to Belarus, a close ally of Russia. The leader of Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was also offered the opportunity to move to Belarus, but his current whereabouts are unknown.
Wagner is comprised of mercenary fighters, many of whom were recruited from Russian prisons. They have been involved in some of the most intense battles since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February of the previous year.
Andriy Demchenko, a spokesman for the DPSU, confirmed Wagner’s presence in Belarus in a brief statement on Saturday. Ukrainian border guards are actively monitoring the situation along the country’s northern border with Belarus, although no further details were provided.
According to a Telegram channel associated with a prominent Belarusian opposition blogger, a large convoy of Wagner vehicles entered Belarus from Russia. The convoy, which reportedly includes pickups, lorries, and buses, was accompanied by Belarusian traffic police and was said to be heading towards the town of Osipovichi, approximately 85 kilometres southeast of the capital, Minsk. The Belarusian authorities, who consider the Telegram channel an extremist platform, have not yet commented on the matter.
Belarus’ defence ministry stated on Friday that Wagner troops were acting as military instructors for the country’s territorial defence forces. It was reported that these fighters were providing training to Belarusian forces in various military disciplines near Osipovichy.
President Putin recently disclosed that Prigozhin had rejected an offer for his fighters to join the Russian army as a regular unit. While some group commanders reportedly supported the plan, Prigozhin’s response indicated disagreement among the Wagner troops. Putin also acknowledged that Wagner is not officially recognised under Russian law due to the non-recognition of mercenary groups. However, he suggested that the issue should be addressed in parliament.
