Russia's war in Ukraine
A satellite image shows the first convoy of Wagner forces arriving at a Belarusian base on July 17. Planet Labs
The first convoy of Wagner forces have arrived at a previously abandoned military base in Belarus, with at least two more convoys on the move towards it, a CNN analysis of satellite imagery and social media videos has discovered.
Satellite imagery from Planet Labs show the first convoy arriving at a Belarusian military base that has been vacant for years just after 11:00 a.m. local time Monday. The convoy stretches all the way from the base to the highway off-ramp.
Less than an hour later, an additional satellite image from Airbus shows the entire convoy parked at the base.
CNN was able to confirm the arriving vehicles were Wagner forces because several vehicles in the Airbus satellite imagery match those seen in a video posted to social media that showed a convoy, flying Wagner flags, stopped along a highway.
A satellite image shows the first convoy of Wagner forces arriving at a Belarusian base on July 17. Pléiades © CNES 2023, Distribution Airbus DS
The convoy seen in the video included a number of tractor trailers, trucks, large flatbeds with bulldozers dump trucks, in addition to passenger vans and dozens of other civilian-style trucks and cars. In total, CNN identified 115 new vehicles on the base, that were not there in past satellite imagery.
It marks the first time Wagner forces have been spotted out and about after their failed insurrection attempt in June.
Troop movements: Two additional Wagner convoys were on the move Monday afternoon in the direction of the base.
A CNN analysis of videos posted to social media found the convoys, also with vehicles flying Wagner flags, had stopped in two locations along a major Russian highway heading west toward Belarus.
The videos were authenticated and geolocated by CNN
One convoy contains at least 109 vehicles, and the other has at least 96 vehicles. Both had dozens of civilian-style cars and trucks, in addition to vans, buses large tractor trailers, liquid transport vehicles and trailers and large military-style trucks.
Some context: Archival satellite imagery reviewed by CNN shows dozens of tents were erected at the base, which had been vacant for years, just days after Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin backed down from his attempted insurrection last month.
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko claimed to have brokered a deal between Prigozhin and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Since then, Lukashenko has invited Wagner forces into Belarus to help train his country's military.
Prigozhin's whereabouts remain unknown.
Source: CNN
