Satellite Imagery and Reports Indicate Construction of Wagner Group Military Camp in Belarus

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The Big Big News conducted an analysis of satellite images on Saturday that hinted at the construction of a fresh military-esque camp in Belarus. Statements from a Belarusian resistance group and official sources propose that the camp may be intended to accommodate soldiers from the Wagner mercenary group.

The photos supplied by Planet Labs PLC allude to the construction of numerous tents within the last fortnight at a previous military base situated outside Osipovichi, a town approximately 230 kilometers (142 miles) north from the Ukrainian border. A satellite image captured on June 15 does not display the sequences of white and green buildings that are prominently seen in a subsequent picture taken on June 30.

After escaping prosecution, Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin, along with his soldiers, was granted asylum in Belarus last week following Minsk’s successful negotiation of a deal to conclude what seemed like a military coup by the mercenary group. This thwarted uprising involved Wagner troops who had previously partnered with Russian forces in Ukraine, seizing a military headquarters in southern Russia, and marching hundreds of kilometers (miles) towards Moscow without interruption.

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Belarus’ dictatorial president, Alexander Lukashenko, announced that his country, being a reliable ally and dependent on Moscow, could benefit from the Wagner group’s knowledge and expertise, stating he had allocated an “abandoned military unit” for the troops to establish a base.

Aliaksandr Azarau, the head of the anti-Lukashenko BYPOL resistance group composed of ex-military members, confirmed to The Big Big News on Thursday over a phone call that construction of a site for Wagner mercenaries near Osipovichi was in progress.

As per a spokesperson for Ukraine’s border force, up to 8,000 soldiers from Wagner’s private military could be deployed in Belarus. Andriy Demchenko, speaking to the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper on Saturday, informed that Ukraine would fortify its 1,084 kilometer (674 mile) border with Belarus in response.

Lukashenko has previously sanctioned Moscow’s use of Belarusian territory to dispatch troops and weaponry into Ukraine. He has also endorsed a continual Russian military presence in Belarus, inclusive of combined military camps and drills, along with the positioning of some of Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons.

On Saturday, Demchenko informed Ukrainska Pravda that as of this week, around 2,000 troops from standard Russian military units are currently stationed in Belarus.

During a gala on Friday evening celebrating Belarusian Independence Day, Lukashenko suggested that the Belarusian armed forces could benefit from training provided by Wagner members and claimed that the mercenaries were “not a threat” to Belarusians.

He further proclaimed his certainty that Belarus would not have to utilize the nuclear weapons stationed on its territory and would not directly participate in Moscow’s conflict with Ukraine.

“As time passes, we become more certain that (nuclear weapons) should be stored here, in Belarus, in a secure location. I’m confident that we will never need to use them while they’re here, and no enemy will ever step foot on our land,” stated Lukashenko.

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For AP’s continuous coverage of the Ukrainian conflict, visit: https://bigbignews.net/russia-ukraine

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Wagner Group military camp in Belarus

More about Wagner Group military camp in Belarus

• Satellite imagery analysis by The Big Big News: Link
• Planet Labs PLC: Link
• Belarusian Independence Day gala: Link
• Ukrainska Pravda newspaper: Link