Satellite Images of Belarusian Base Suggest Wagner’s Possible Arrival
Satellite images, analyzed by The New York Times, showed increased activity this weekend at a military field camp in Belarus, including the arrival of vehicles that resemble those used by the Russian mercenary group Wagner.
More than a dozen vehicles, including large civilian trucks, vans and cars, appear to have arrived on Saturday and Sunday at a former military base in Asipovichy, which is about 55 miles southeast of Minsk, the capital. The vehicles are the same types as those recently seen driving in large convoys, some flying Wagner flags.
The whereabouts of the Wagner mercenaries has been something of a mystery since the group, which had been fighting in Ukraine on behalf of Russia, rose up last month against the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin. To end the short-lived revolt, President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko of Belarus brokered a deal in which the mercenaries would be given sanctuary in Belarus.
The satellite images do not conclusively prove that Wagner forces are at the camp, but bolster statements by Ukraine’s allies that some Wagner troops have reached Belarus. The British Ministry of Defense said on Sunday that “at least a small contingent of Wagner fighters have arrived at a camp in Belarus,” although it did not specify the location of the camp. On Saturday, a Polish official said some Wagner fighters had arrived in Belarus.
Source: The New York Times
