Lukashenko Confirms Wagner Boss Prigozhin Is in Belarus

Belarus's president Alexander Lukashenko has confirmed Tuesday, June 27, that Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has arrived after landing at a military airfield near Minsk.

The mercenary boss's arrival in the country was part of the deal Lukashenko brokered between Prigozin and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Prigozhin was also guaranteed to escape Russia without criminal prosecution.

The Belarusian leader's deal happened after Wagner attempted a "march for justice" to Moscow, only for them to turn back and leave Rostov-on-Don, which they had occupied for over 24 hours.

Lukashenko said Prigozhin and some of his troops were welcome to his country "for some time" at their own expense. He added the mutiny was the result of a breakdown in relations between Wagner and the Russian Ministry of Defense.

"The situation got away from us, then we thought it would be resolved, but it hasn't been resolved," Lukashenko told journalists. "There are no heroes in this story."

Experts have since speculated that Prigozhin's exile to Belarus was a trap for him and the Wagner troops accompanying him.

Belarusian Opposition Calls Prigozhin's Arrival Dangerous for Countrymen

Meanwhile, the Belarusian opposition told DW Prigozhin's arrival in Belarus was very dangerous for Belarusian society and independence, as well as for neighboring countries Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia.

"It's very likely that Prigozhin will not arrive alone, but he will bring his mercenaries, thousands of people who were participating in the torture and killings of Ukrainians," Belarusian opposition official Franak Viacorka said.

The chief political adviser to Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya added the nuclear weapons recently delivered from Russia to Belarus could be used by either Putin or Lukashenko at some point.

Viacorka said Belarusians were shocked to know Prigozhin had arrived in Minsk, stating the opposition would think "how to get rid of [Wagner] as soon as possible."