Camp in Tsel, Belarus: The Truth About Wagner Militia and Their Presence in Russia and Belarus

2023-07-08 01:24:46

A scent of chopped wood hangs around the recently built camp in Tsel, Belarus, which might house fighters from the private Wagner militia following their abortive rebellion in Russia and the agreement brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to welcome them.

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But President Lukashenko assured Thursday that the sulphurous boss of the paramilitary group Wagner, Evguéni Prigojine, was in Russia and not “not on Belarusian territory”. According to him, Wagner’s fighters are “in their permanent camps” in Ukraine and not in Belarus, “for the moment”.

However, Evguéni Prigojine was, according to the agreement made with the Kremlin via the mediation of Mr. Lukashenko which put an end to the Wagner mutiny on June 24, to go into exile in Belarus, an allied country and neighbor of Russia. .

Asked, the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, replied for his part that Moscow “does not follow the movements” of Wagner’s boss.

“If you look for them, you won’t find them here,” said Leonid Kasinsky, an officer from the Belarusian Ministry of Defense, receiving journalists at the recently built camp in Tsel, in the Asipovichi commune, in the Mogilev region ( center).

Leonid Kasinsky was showing the new camp to a group of foreign journalists who were also invited to participate in a rare “tour de table” interview with President Lukashenko.

Around him, the 300 tents, which might accommodate some 5,000 men, were empty. In one, you might see a few resting guards.

Mr. Kasinsky said that these tents had been erected in anticipation of training maneuvers which are to take place in the fall.

“Since the camp is ready, it might be offered” to Wagner, only agreed the ministry officer.

Media published satellite photos of this camp under construction immediately following the mutiny, speculating on an arrival of Wagner fighters as part of the agreement negotiated by the Belarusian president.

Mr Lukashenko announced on June 27 that Yevgeny Prigojine had arrived in Belarus.

But on Thursday, he acknowledged that the issue of Wagner’s “relocation” to Belarus was “not settled”.

After his 24-hour mutiny which shook the Kremlin, Yevgeny Prigojine assured that he did not want to seize power, but simply to protect Wagner from being dismantled by the Russian general staff, which he accuses of incompetence.

However, his men, mercenaries financed by the Russian authorities, have been accused of having committed atrocities in many countries, including Ukraine, the Central African Republic and Syria.

“I’m scared, I would like to live in peace, to see my children grow up, that’s all I can say,” a Belarusian woman said on condition of anonymity near the camp of a possible arrival of fighters of Wagner.

Other residents, however, claim not to fear anything. “It doesn’t worry me at all. If it has to be done, it has to be done,” said Yelena Vinglinskaya, 45, working in a kindergarten.

This is also the opinion of the officer of the Belarusian Ministry of Defense. “I don’t see why we would have problems with the Wagner group,” Leonid Kasinsky told foreign journalists.

“We are not going to compete with anyone. We will receive their unique combat experience,” he said, adding, “The final say on where they will settle will be with Wagner and his commanders.”

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