Top Ukrainian and Polish Military Officials Discuss Threats from Wagner Group in Belarus

Representatives of the top military leadership of Ukraine and Poland have held a meeting during which one of the key topics was the possible threats posed by the deployment of the Wagner Group in Belarus.

As the press service of the Joint Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reprots, the meeting was held by Lieutenant General Serhii Naiev, the Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and Lieutenant General Tomasz Piotrowski, the Commander of the Operational Command of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland.

They discussed promising areas of bilateral cooperation, the security situation in the region, and ways to assist Ukraine in repelling Russia's armed aggression.

Among other things, they discussed the challenges and threats posed by the deployment of a part of the Wagner Group to Belarus.

"Serhii Naiev stressed the importance of continuing to exchange information and experience in organising combat operations at control points. In addition, he shared the specifics of the practical use of various types of foreign weapons, noting the need for additional training of subordinate personnel in the operation and repair of Polish-made military equipment," the press release reads.

It is noted that Tomasz Piotrowski supported this initiative. 

Last week, Warsaw and Vilnius reported that about a hundred Wagnerites had moved to the so-called Suwalki Gap, with Wagner's Group stationed near the Lithuanian border in Hrodna Oblast, Belarus.

Following Minsk's provocation on 1 August, when two Belarusian helicopters flew deep into Polish territory, Warsaw began deploying additional forces and attack helicopters to the border with Belarus. 

Poland also handed over evidence to Belarus through its embassy in Minsk that the incident had indeed taken place and demanded an explanation. 

Over the weekend, the US and Polish defence ministers discussed the situation with the Wagnerites in Belarus, and before that, the Polish and Lithuanian interior ministers coordinated plans to respond to possible new provocations from Belarus, including the potential closure of the border with Belarus.