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.
