Belarus President Lukashenko says he is 'struggling to keep Wagner troops from attacking Poland’

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has said that he is finding it extremely difficult to contain Wagner mercenaries from attacking Poland. During a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, Lukashenko said, “The Wagnerites are beginning to stretch us. I ask: ‘Why do you need to go to the West?’ [They reply:] ‘We want to go on an excursion to Warsaw, to Rzeszow’.” The Belarusian leader also provided his Russian counterpart with a map of Poland’s plan to attack Belarus. Also, Putin said earlier this week that an attack on Belarus equates to an attack on Russia.

“As we can see that, the ground is being prepared,” Lukashenko said.   Wagner mercenaries arrive in Belarus On Monday, Belarus witnessed the entry of thousands of Wagner Group mercenaries, the biggest exodus since their failed rebellion in Russia last month. Between 3,450 and 3,650 soldiers have travelled to a camp close to Asipovichy, a town 230 kilometres north of the Ukrainian border, according to Belaruski Hajun, an activist group that tracks troop movements within the country. “Wagner fighters who have really been in the heat of combat are passing on valuable information and experience to our servicemen,” the Belarusian Defense Ministry said in a statement as Lukashenko welcomed them into the country. Poland strengthens border In a bid to safeguard its national security, Poland has decided to send over 500 police officers to its border with Belarus. The police officials will join the ranks of 5,000 border guards and 2,000 soldiers in securing the frontiers from Wagner mercenaries. Poland’s interior minister Mariusz Kaminski said, “Due to the tense situation on the border with Belarus, I have decided to bolster our forces with 500 Polish police officers from preventive and counter-terrorism units.” Stanislaw Zaryn, Poland’s deputy minister co-ordinator of special services, said, “It is still a matter of analysis and hypotheses whether the Wagner group will engage in destabilising Poland and will also be active in co-ordinating the migration route.” He added, “We assume the Wagners aren’t going to Belarus to recuperate, but to carry out a mission. This mission could be aimed at Poland, but also against Lithuania or Ukraine.”