Satellite images appear to show activity at a disused military base in Belarus as Wagner forces are relocating to the country following the failed mutiny of its warlord, Yevgeny Prigozhin.
An image from June 27, first reported by Radio Free Europe and verified by the BBC, shows tents and similar structures being installed in the abandoned base. Compared to an earlier photo dated June 19, the recent photos confirmed Wagner's alleged presence in the old Belarusian base, which was located about 13 miles (21km) from the town of Asipovichy and around 64 miles (103km) from the capital Minsk.
The images were captured by the European Space Agency's Sentinel 2 satellites.
The base was once the home of the Belarusian 465th Missile Brigade before relocating to another facility in 2018.
Ukrainian military expert Oleg Zhdanov told Radio Free Europe it was "unrealistic" for Wagner to have started building a camp with so little time after the rebellion.
However, King's College London Department of War Studies specialist Marina Miron said it was possible. "[I]f they managed to get halfway to Moscow within one day, it is plausible to think they might already be starting to build camps in Belarus," she added.
Wagner's Move to Belarus Concerning, NATO Officials Said
The Wagner Group had been fighting on the Russian side in its war against Ukraine until very recently when Prigozhin staged a rebellion in Rostov-on-Don and marched his warriors to Moscow only to call it off when the column was a few hundred miles left. Prigozhin later explained he decided to call off the march to the Russian capital to avoid spilling Russian blood.
Earlier this week, Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko confirmed Prigozhin has landed near Minsk as part of a deal he brokered between Prigozhin and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Lukashenko also provided the old base to accommodate Wagner fighters who followed Prigozhin to Belarus.
Wagner's relocation to Belarus had also concerned the NATO countries bordering it, particularly Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Following its relocation to Belarus, the US Treasury Department has sanctioned Wagner's gold mining operations in Africa.
Belarusian Opposition: Lukashenko, Prigozhin Not Allies
Meanwhile, Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said Wednesday (June 28) Lukashenko could betray Prigozhin despite offering him refuge after his failed mutiny.
"They're not allies. They cannot trust each other," she said.
Tikhanovskaya explained the reason why Lukashenko took in Wagner was to save his own regime, knowing full well that if Russia was in chaos, he and his country would be next.
"The presence of Prigozhin himself or Wagner groups on our territory creates a threat to the people of Belarus in the first place and to our independence," she added.
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