Training for soldiers?

1000 Wagner fighters are still in Belarus

Around 1000 Wagner fighters are still in Belarus. This was reported by the British Ministry of Defense on Sunday. The Russian private army would probably be training Belarusian soldiers and security forces (see video above).

They would not be deployed for border protection tasks or the internal security of the former Soviet republic, it said. The fighters from the Wagner group entered the country in June 2023 after mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin failed in an uprising against the Russian military leadership. According to the British Ministry of Defense, there were originally around 8,000 fighters in Belarus, which is allied with Russia.

Supporting Russia's war
"The continued presence of the Wagner mercenaries is almost certainly also benefiting Russia's war effort," the ministry said. This will force the enemy to maintain defensive positions and personnel along the northern border with Belarus in order to protect itself from future incursions.

For Putin, it is currently extremely important to distract people's attention from the problems at home.

Iwan Timotschko, Vorsitzender des Heeres-Reservistenverbandes der Ukraine

Russian troops have recently been increasingly attacking targets along the front lines in Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian military, this is likely to continue until the presidential elections in Russia. "It is currently extremely important for Putin to distract people's attention from the problems at home," said Ivan Timochko, Chairman of the Ukrainian Army Reserves Association. With new attacks and conquests, the Russian president is showing that he is in control of the situation and that the army can carry out attacks.

"Silent mobilization"
 Timochko speaks of up to 500,000 Russian soldiers in Ukraine. Losses are being replaced by a "silent mobilization". Even migrants are being sent to the front lines. The information could not be independently verified.