Column of Wagner mercenaries with at least 60 vehicles arrives in Belarus – Belarusian Hajun
A large convoy comprising both passenger and cargo vehicles, bearing license plates from the so-called “DPR” and “LPR” sham Russian puppet states in Ukraine’s Donbas, was spotted entering Belarus on the morning of July 15, the Belarusian Hajun monitoring group reported on Telegram on July 15.
Multiple signs strongly suggest that this convoy is linked to the Wagner private military company, Belarusian Hajun said.
According to the monitoring group’s report, the Wagner mercenaries entered Belarus from Russia during the night near the city of Krychaw. They subsequently traveled through Rahačoŭ en route to Babruysk, eventually reaching Asipovichy.
The monitoring group speculates that this specific route indicates the movement of the Wagner PMC column towards a tent camp situated in the village of Tsyil.
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“The convoy consists of no less than 60 vehicles, including pickups, large trucks, vans, and a minimum of three buses designed for transportation,” the monitoring group noted. “The Belarusian traffic police accompanied the convoy.”
Prior to this development, the Ministry of Defense of Belarus announced the arrival of Wagner mercenary company representatives at a field camp near the city of Asipovichy in Mogilev Oblast.
Prigozhin’s mutiny in Russia – What we know
The leader of Russia’s Wagner mercenary company, Yevgeny Prigozhin, on June 23 announced the start of an armed conflict with the Russian Ministry of Defense and a march toward Moscow.
He cited an alleged attack by the Russian army on Wagner forces’ rear camps in Rostov as the cause. The conflict between Prigozhin and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had already been ongoing for some months. Prigozhin had been consistently demanding the minister’s resignation, accusing him of mismanaging the occupying forces and failing to adequately supply Wagner mercenaries with ammunition.
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Wagner fighters took control of Russian military facilities in Rostov-on-Don and Voronezh on June 24. They reportedly destroyed at least seven Russian aircraft during the short-lived mutiny.
Prigozhin is now facing criminal charges for “organizing an armed coup.” Security forces in Moscow had apparently prepared for a possible siege, and Ukrainian intelligence reports suggest that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin hastily left Moscow for his residence in Valdai, to the north-west of the Russian capital.
However, as the column of Wagner mercenaries reached Moscow region, the press service the Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko announced that negotiations had taken place between Lukashenko and Prigozhin, resulting in an agreement to halt the “rebellion.”
Shortly after, Prigozhin declared that he was “turning back” the columns from Moscow and returning them to their field camps.
The Kremlin initially claimed that Prigozhin would be heading to Belarus following the failed coup attempt, but flight data indicates that he has been traveling between Belarus and Russia. Media reports also suggest the construction of alleged Wagner camps in Belarus, including in Asipovichy, Mogilev Oblast, which is approximately 200 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
Belarusian Hajun confirmed on July 14 that Prigozhin had indeed spent the night at a camp near Asipovichy, where Wagner mercenaries are likely barracked.
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