Ukraine says ready for arrival of Wagner troops in Belarus

KYIV, Ukraine — As Belarus has ramped up its rhetoric about plans to provide shelter — and possibly employment — to Wagner group mercenaries after a failed uprising in Russia, Ukrainian troops say they are ready for any potential threat to their neighbor to the north.

In recent days, Ukrainian officials have tried to allay concerns as they announced their preparations, with President Volodymyr Zelensky nodding to plans to strengthen the border in his late-night address to Saturday and top commanders insisting that no current threat had been found.

Mr Zelensky indicated that Ukrainian intelligence was closely monitoring the situation, adding: “We are very carefully analyzing every fact and every prospect in all directions.” Ukraine’s top generals were “ordered to strengthen the northern direction – to ensure peace,” he said.

This week, Aleksandr G. Lukashenko, the Kremlin-linked autocratic leader of Belarus, invited members of the Wagner group who had taken part in an uprising against Russian forces to move to an “abandoned” military base in his country . New satellite images from Thursday and Friday, analyzed by The New York Times, shows that more than 250 tents have been set up over the past five days, enough to house thousands of troops on an unused base.

The invitation has made many in Ukraine wary of their northern neighbour and drew condemnation and warnings from NATO leaders about the possible threat at their doorstep from a group that has built a reputation for brutal violence.

Belarus was an important staging post in the months leading up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and its northern border was a major point of invasion before some Russian troops withdrew months later.

Russia continues to use Belarus as a training ground for its troops and to launch airstrikes against Ukraine. But there are no Russian offensive units in Belarus and little indication that Mr Lukashenko would send Belarusian troops to Ukraine.

Lieutenant General Serhiy Nayev, the commander of the Joint Forces of Ukraine, said in a message on Telegram on Friday that there was currently no immediate threat of an offensive operation by ground forces from Belarus.

“However, as the threat level increases, troop and resource build-ups are envisaged, as well as other practical measures to enhance the group’s defense capabilities,” he said.

Mr Lukashenko, in a speech commemorating the Independence Day of Belarus on Friday and published by the state news agency Beltasaid he was open to the idea of ​​Wagner mercenaries training Belarusian troops, but said they had not yet arrived in the country.

“And if, as I have already told them, their instructors come to pass on combat experience to us, we will accept this experience,” he said.

That is what Mr Lukashenko said earlier this week Yevgeny V. Prigozhinthe founder of the Wagner group arrived in Belarus after the failed uprising against Russian troops. But Mr. Prigozhin has not been heard from for a week and his whereabouts have not been independently confirmed.

Valerie Hopkins reporting contributed.