(Slovak version)
If you remember, in one of the previous parts of my diaries I discussed whether the Wagner PMC will reach Belarus at all, whether a camp is really being built for them and what this might mean.
Now we know the answers to some of the questions. Yes, Wagner fighters and equipment really arrived in Belarus. On the morning of July 19, 6 convoys of Yevgeny Prigozhin PMC transport were already noticed in the country. According to the monitoring initiative “Belarusian Gayun”, at least 2,000 Wagner fighters arrived in Belarus as part of these convoys.
And yet – it seems that the head of the Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, spent the night in a tent camp near the Belarusian town of Osipovichi, built for mercenaries. Only the photo, of course, cannot be proof, but other data confirm that it is most likely genuine, and indeed taken in mid-July. Apparently, Prigozhin actually flew in to inspect the location of his military company.
But first things first.
Columns of PMC “Wagner”
In a few days, six columns of Wagner PMC entered Belarus from Russia. They had a different number of vehicles, some, according to the “Belarusian Guyun”, there were 100+ vehicles.
Interestingly, on the border between Russia and Belarus, the flag of the PMC was even hung from the Russian side. This happened on the section of the border through which the columns of Prigozhin’s fighters were moving.
Camp
All equipment from the border with Russia was directed towards the tent camp near the town of Osipovichi: I also talked about it in one of my diaries. Then it was not clear whether this was a fake construction of the camp. It seemed that the photos and reports about the PMC base could be part of the Kremlin’s information campaign. Perhaps it is still her, but real PMC fighters are already coming to the camp. It is not clear how long the Wagnerites will stay in Belarus, but their movement into the country is a fact.
Moreover, as mentioned above, the head of the PMC Evgeny Prigozhin visited the camp. And not just visited, but spent the night in it. Evidence is provided not only by photos, but also by the data on the arrival of Prigozhin’s plane in Belarus and the analysis of photographs from the camp, carried out by the initiative “Belarusian Guyun”.
Training of Belarusian soldiers
It is still not clear how long Prigozhin’s army will stay in Belarus and what is the real purpose of placing fighters in the camp.
But it is already known that the instructors of the PMC “Wagner” began to train the fighters of the Belarusian territorial defense. Again, there is no data on whether this is a one-time incident, or whether the PMC will actually train Lukashenka’s soldiers on an ongoing basis. It remains only to observe.
How many PMC fighters are there in Belarus?
According to the monitoring initiative “Belarusian Gayun”, from two to two and a half thousand fighters of the PMC “Wagner” entered Belarus in 6 columns of equipment. At the same time, again, there is no exact data on how many people are in the Wagner PMC. According to various sources, by January 2023, there were about 50 thousand people in the ranks of the Wagnerites. But six months have passed since then, and it is also not clear how many fighters remained in the PMC after Prigozhin’s march on Moscow.
So we do not know how much the PMC contingent in Belarus can grow, and what it will do on a permanent basis. It remains to be observed.
Week in Belarus
in numbers, words and repression
Number of political prisoners
1486 – so many political prisoners in Belarus on the morning of July 19, according to Belarusian human rights activists. This number is constantly changing: someone is released after serving a full illegal term, someone is detained and recognized as a political prisoner. And let me remind you that in reality there are several times more people who are imprisoned in Belarus for political reasons.
New sanctions on the anniversary of the elections
Media reports that the European Union will adopt new sanctions against the Lukashenka regime ahead of the anniversary of the presidential election, which took place on August 9, 2020 and was rigged and stolen by the dictator. Insiders report that the sanctions will mainly affect the military sectors: military and dual-use products, aviation, technology, weapons, and so on.
Relatives of Viktar Babaryka managed to talk with the administration of the colony where he is kept
Nothing is known about the condition of the former candidate for the presidency of Belarus Viktar Babaryka. The situation is similar with other political prisoners. But in mid-July, Babariko’s relatives managed to talk to the administration of the colony where the politician is serving his illegal term. According to the administration, Viktar Babaryka’s health is not in danger. The politician was temporarily banned from making calls and meetings – he was punished by being transferred to a cell-type room. There is no information for which Babariko was punished.
Collection of Belarusian political prisoners for schoolchildren
Four Belarusian initiatives that help political prisoners and their families have launched a campaign to raise money to prepare for a school for children of political prisoners. 100 euros will be paid for each child. You can help raise money for school fees through the BYSOL Foundation, which has been helping repressed Belarusians and Belarusians since 2020: https://bysol.org/en/bs/deti2023
The Belarusian diary is published with the support of SlovakAid.