A group of a hundred soldiers from the Russian Wagner group have moved closer to the Belarusian city of Grodno near the Polish border, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Saturday.
Poland, a former Warsaw Pact member which has been a full member of the U.S.-led NATO military alliance since 1999, has been concerned about the possible spillover of war on to its territory ever since Russian invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Earlier this month, Poland began moving more than 1,000 troops to the east of the country amid rising concerns that the presence of Wagner fighters in Belarus could lead to increased tension on its border.
"The situation is getting increasingly dangerous ... Most likely they (the Wagner personnel) will be disguised as the Belarusian border guard and help illegal migrants get to the Polish territory (and) destabilize Poland," Morawiecki said at a press conference in Gliwice, western Poland.
"They will most likely try to enter Poland pretending to be illegal migrants and this poses additional threats," Morawiecki said.
However he did not give the source of his information on the Wagner movements, and Anton Motolko, founder of the Belarusian opposition Hajun project which monitors military activity in the country, told Reuters his group had not seen any evidence of the Wagner group moving closer to Grodno.
The city has a potentially significant position given it is near the Suwalki Gap, a strategic strip of land along the Polish-Lithuanian border, which divides Belarus, Russia's ally, from the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.
Earlier in July, Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was shown in a video welcoming his fighters to Belarus, telling them they would take no further part in the Ukraine war for now but ordering them to gather their strength for Africa - where they are involved in a number of conflicts - while they train the Belarusian army.
The following day, some Wagner fighters arrived at the training ground of the 38th airborne assault brigade outside the city of Brest, just a few miles from the Polish border.
Wagner's move to Belarus was part of a deal that ended the group's mutiny attempt in June, when they took control of a Russian military headquarters, marched on Moscow and threatened to tip Russia into civil war, President Vladimir Putin has said.
© Thomson Reuters 2023.
34 Comments
falseflagsteve
Time for a ceasefire guys before that gets out of hand.
Strangerland
If Russia ceases fire the war is over.
If Ukraine cease fire, Ukraine is over.
Are you suggest Ukraine just give up?
Sounds like anti-vaxxer logic. Not that you're an anti-vaxxer of course.
EFD
I triple-dog dare you, you no-Air Force wannabe mercenaries.
NATO will devour you. And then it will belch and take a nap.
Wick's pencil
That might be the reason.
2020hindsights
Wick's pencil
Earlier this month, Poland began moving more than 1,000 troops to the east of the country
Unlikely.
EFD
The work of a light afternoon with dinner reservations.
wallace
The moment they set foot on Polish soil airstrikes and cruise missiles on their Belarus camp.
UChosePoorly
Countries are free to move armies (or PMCs) around within their own borders, just not in other countries' territory when they haven't been invited. Wagner is free to move up to within an inch of Polish borders, but I wouldn't advise them to cross it. Defense is fine, offense is not.
Stig
NATO is the military equivalent of US/EU economic power. Murderous and merciless but a paper tiger up against a peer enemy.
The IMF has revised Russian economic growth up for this year. From 0.7% to 2.5%. The Russians say it'll be at least 3%. As for the bandits and fascists of Anglo-American, French imperialism and German Nazism, USA might be able to squeeze out 1% growth by looting Europe. Which is merely hammering another nail into NATO's coffin. It won't be a surprise if Germany makes a clean break from NATO within a year. All US occupiers expelled from the country.
Then it will be Japan's turn to act.
UChosePoorly
Stig - Russia may be a peer enemy to an armed Ukraine, but they are not a peer to the US, much less the combined power of NATO.
Are you predicting that Germany and Japan will expel US and allied forces within the year? Or is that just wishful thinking? Because I will take that bet.
UChosePoorly
Also, this IMF?
https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/NGDP_RPCH@WEO/USA
u_s__reamer
Why is this non-event in the news?
UChosePoorly
Also, you have to remember that it is harder to grow on a percentage basis a bigger economy (like the US) than a smaller one (like Russia). Russia's economy will not in our lifetimes (I never say never) approach the size of the US economy, much less that of NATO.
EFD
That why the Russians go nuclear in all their war games because of a catastrophic conventional defeat?
Because NATO is a paper Tiger?
The Chinese said that in Korea.
How many million casualties did they have again?
Stig
That's why the Russians say it's only possible for them to use nukes if used against Russia or an ally first or in the event of an invasion the state can't repel by other means.
US doctrine is that they can be used, "in the event of surprising military developments." i.e. whenever the crazed, failing fascists want.
lincolnman
Wouldn't it be hilarious if all these Wagner troops move menacingly towards Poland's border - and when they get there they all pull our white flags and raise their hands and say "We want asylum - get us out of Russia and Belarus"....
Putin is dumb but he ain't that dumb...even without NATO Poland has a Western-armed, well-trained military that would walk right through Belarus and even head right for Moscow if it wanted....it would decimate Putin's weak, poorly trained bunch of conscripts and convicts...
EFD
Russian ships don’t float. Russian planes got fly. Russian tanks cremate their crews.
So bring it. Let’s see what kind of paper Tiger NATO is shall we?
The Russians won’t do it because they know the ass kicking they will get.
UChosePoorly
A free people will not be conquered by slaves:
https://twitter.com/i/status/1565792652183982084
Stig
Poland has a military not even half of Ukraine's pre-war military. Less than half the size, probably less than 1/4 the capability. Nazis might be.......Nazis but they aren't cowards. They are fanatical fighters. Far more formidable than any NATO army.
The Russians have so far destroyed 2 Ukrainian armies. The first was the most formidable armed with Soviet armor and NATO lighter weapons. The second was a mix of NATO and Soviet armor. The third which is proving to be the least effective, is entirely armed by NATO.
EFD
And they’re highly trained and backed by NATO.
They will deal with your drunken rabble like a constipated bowel movement.
And then they’ll get angry.
You won’t like them when they’re angry. I’m
Stig
The mental gymnastics is really interesting. On the one hand, have to print money, i.e. tax the working class, to help the Ukraine because if Russia prevails, the conquest of NATO is next. But on the other "Russian ships don’t float. Russian planes got fly. Russian tanks cremate their crews."
Stig
The Ukrainian army, the 3rd which is being decimated right now is 100% trained, armed and paid by NATO.
UChosePoorly
Stig - Are you really predicting that Russia will conquer NATO (presumably at the same time they are trying to beat Ukraine)?
Stig
Excellent! So no need to send more money and weapons to the Ukraine! No need to increase military spending. Let's spend it on health care instead. Something I'm sure American workers would appreciate more than anyone, especially Russians who have had state funded health care for over 100 years.
Mr Kipling
Poland has more than 2,000 "volunteers" from its military fighting in Ukraine, the largest number of foreign military. Not regular mercenaries but serving members of the Polish army on "hiatus".
UChosePoorly
Stig - I am the first to argue in favor of a fairer, more universal system of healthcare, but you would be better directed to tell Russia to spend its money on healthcare.
https://countryeconomy.com/countries/compare/russia/usa?sc=XE24
UChosePoorly
(the relevant line in my link above refers to the 7-year difference in life expectancy between the US and Russia)
UChosePoorly
Mr. Kipling - yes, I would imagine Poland knows better than anyone that Russia's aggression needs to be stopped in Ukraine. Poland, like Ukraine, does not wish to suffer under Russian domination again. They tried that. Hard pass.
Yrral
U, American people will fight,for anything, even if they feel they will get the short end of a stick,why will are they willing to defend people that never lived in any resemblance of Democracy
stormcrow
The Wagner Group . . . Oooooooo!
A violent gang of hoodlums and war criminals who are capable of committing any form of atrocity.
They're nothing special other than being priority number one for eradication.
TaiwanIsNotChina
You're only right in that Russia has to give back what it stole in order for it to be over.