Wagner combat vehicle convoys leaving Belarus for Russia?

The above information was posted by the National Resistance Center of Ukraine (NRC) on August 23.

The Kyiv Independent quoted sources in Belarus as saying that several Wagner military camps were dismantled on the evening of August 23 and members of this private military company were forming convoys to leave Belarus.

"The convoys may be heading towards the border with Russia," the NRC said.

The boss of the private military company Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin. Photo: AP

According to NRC sources in Belarus, the Belarusian government "did not allow the Wagner mercenaries to leave". Belarusian special services are said to "try to block these convoys at the border".

Previously, on August 23, Russian media reported that "a private plane carrying Mr. Prigozhin crashed in Russia's Tverskaya region, killing all 10 people on board."

After Mr Prigozhin's brief uprising in June, Wagner established bases in Belarus and formally cooperated with the Belarusian Ministry of Defense.

This week, Mr Prigozhin shared a video from what appears to be a location in Africa, suggesting he may have found a new role and his insurgent actions have been forgiven.

In the video, Mr. Prigozhin said he was recruiting for operations in Africa and inviting Russian investors to invest in the Central African Republic through the Russian House, a cultural center in the capital of this African country.

According to The Guardian , recent reports have revealed that hundreds of Wagner fighters at bases in Belarus have begun to leave the country. Some are said to be unhappy with low wages, while others have moved to work in West Africa. The Wagner force in Belarus has “reduced its original strength by about a quarter from more than 5,000.”

Video footage of the plane suspected of carrying Mr. Yevgeny Prigozhin crashing on August 23. Photo: Twitter

In Russia, Wagner’s activities have been disrupted for the past two months. It seems that Mr. Prigozhin and his allies are looking for a new role.

There are suggestions that Wagner has come to the aid of the military government in Mali, a move that contributed to France's decision to end its nearly decade-long military operation there.

Meanwhile, experts warn that "another Wagner will emerge after Mr Prigozhin disappears".

"It's the end of Wagner as we know it," said Samuel Charap, an analyst at the RAND Corporation, a think tank for the US military. "Moscow will likely let the mercenaries act as if they were independent in Africa, perhaps under the leadership of a quieter figure."

Experts also believe that the Russian Defense Ministry will continue to incorporate some Wagner members into the regular army, possibly deploying them as special forces in Ukraine or elsewhere.

Scene of the plane crash suspected to be carrying Mr. Yevgeny Prigozhin. Photo: Twitter

Source: https://nld.com.vn/thoi-su-quoc-te/cac-doan-xe-chien-dau-wagner-dang-roi-belarus-ve-nga-2023082412385141.htm