A chevron of Wagner Group, a unit of Russian military intelligence (fka GRU) posing as a private military company used to conduct combat operations abroad as part of Russia's hybrid warfare.
New satellite imagery made by Planet Labs PBC emerged on 30 June, showing about 300 tents at the alleged location of a field camp for Wagner mercenaries in Belarus. The satellite imagery was published by BBC earlier today.
The satellite imagery clearly shows that the construction of the field camp has been completed. The OSINT monitoring group Belaruski Gayun estimated that the footage shows approximately 298 M-30 tents, which could accommodate about 8,000 people (each tent like that can accommodate at least 30 people).
Satellite imagery shows about 300 tents at the alleged location of a field camp for Wagner mercenaries in Belarus.
Credit: Planet Labs PBC via BBC.
The photo also shows the first fortifications north of the former military unit. No military equipment can be seen there.
“BBC Verify has obtained the latest satellite images of the territory of the former military base No. 61732 in the village of Tsil (Osipovychi district, Mogilev region, Belarus). A field camp has been built near Osipovichi, where Wagner PMC may be located,” Belaruski Gayun reported.
On 24 June, the leader of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, announced a march on Moscow after claiming that the Russian army had struck the Wagner organization’s rear. Later that day, Prigozhin, through the mediation of Belarusian dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka, reached an agreement with the Russian authorities and announced the withdrawal of troops following the Wagner’s mutiny inside Russia.
On 27 June, Lukashenka said that Prigozhin had arrived in Minsk, confirming previous information about his plane landing in the Belarusian capital. The Head of the Senate Intelligence Committee in the US, Mark Warner, stated that Prigozhin is staying in a windowless room in one of the hotels in Minsk.
It is yet unclear how many Wagner fighters would follow Prigozhin to Belarus. The situation in Belarus is being actively monitored by Ukraine’s intelligence, which has not yet recorded the appearance of Wagner mercenaries in Belarus or the movement of equipment near the border.
At the same time, this direction always remains a threat, as Belarus continues to support Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, which is why Ukraine’s defense forces continue to strengthen and reinforce the borderline with Belarus.
Related:
- Prigozhin’s rebellion exposed severe weaknesses in Kremlin and Russian Ministry of Defense – ISW
- Putin’s authority undermined by disloyalty in military, security policy expert says
- Lukashenka wants Wagner to train Belarusian military, says Prigozhin arrived in Belarus
- Alleged Wagner mercenary opens fire at airport in Moldova
- Wagner Group still recruiting despite mutiny, BBC finds
- Prigozhin stops Wagner forces 200 km away from Moscow, says they return to field camps
- Wagner founder to leave for Belarus as Russia promises to drop criminal charges
Tags: Alexander Lukashenko / Alyaksandr Lukashenka, Belarus, PMC Wagner, Prigozhin, Putin, Russia, Russian invasion of Ukraine, Wagner coup