with members of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group being hosted by Minsk after their unsuccessful uprising in Russia.
It said in a statement that Ivan Kubrakov, the Interior Minister of Belarus, met Wagner commanders at a training centre to make a clear plan of action.
Kubrakov’s ministry quoted him as saying that in view of the tough situation near Belarus’s borders, it was particularly important to be prepared to respond to possible challenges and threats, according to AFP.
He was quoted as appreciating the mercenaries’ practical experience following their months-long offensive in eastern Ukraine, notably in bloody wars like the one for the flashpoint city of Bakhmut.
Belarus’s role in Russia-Ukraine war
Although Belarus, a close Russian ally, is not fighting directly in Ukraine, the Russian military has used its soil and aerodromes as a rear base in advance of their attack on Ukraine in February 2022.
Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine President, in late June ordered that security be increased along the Belarus border after Wagner fighters relocated to the country under a deal with Moscow.
Belarus has repeatedly accused European Union (EU) member Poland of provocations on their mutual border.
Warsaw says it deems the presence of Wagner in Belarus as a “potential threat” in the area and is trying to shore up its eastern flank.
Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus President, at the weekend assured Russian President Vladimir Putin that his country was controlling the situation by keeping the Wagner in the centre of Belarus.
He is hosting the Wagner fighters after brokering an agreement that convinced their chief Yevgeny Prigozhin to end a march on Moscow and exile himself in Belarus.
