Łukašenka claims Wagner chief in Russia

July 6, BPN. Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin is in St. Petersburg, Alaksandr Łukašenka has told foreign journalists.

“As far as I am informed, the fighters are in their camps,” the Belarusian ruler said.

He noted that he was “absolutely not worried” about the possible presence of Wagner mercenaries in Belarus.

“If it is necessary to involve them, we’ll do it immediately,” Pul Pervogo, his press office’s unofficial Telegram channel, quoted him as saying. “We will take into account and use for training all the knowledge that they have accumulated at the front.”

Łukašenka also denied reports about the construction of a Wagner base in Belarus. “We have offered them a few former military facilities, used in Soviet times, including near Asipovičy. If they agree. But the Wagner Group has a different vision for their deployment and of course, I will not talk about this vision.” The Wagner Group has not yet decided on redeployment, he added.

Belarusian-Russian relations should become “even stronger” in the aftermath of the Wagner mutiny, according to the Belarusian ruler. “We have solved a very serious problem for Russia. So why should our relations worsen?” he said.

On June 23, Prigozhin called for an armed rebellion to oust the Russian defense minister. He later halted the mutiny as a result of agreements reached with Łukašenka and other officials.

Vladimir Putin let the mercenary boss go to Belarus. The Belarusian ruler confirmed Prigozhin’s presence in the country on June 27. Reports say that the mercenaries’ chief has traveled back and forth since then.

On July 2, the Wagner Group said it was suspending recruitment of new members for a month due to relocation to Belarus.