Belarus may be funding the activities of the Wagner mercenary group, British defence chiefs claim.
In its latest intelligence update, Britain’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) said there is a realistic possibility that Russia no longer finances the activities of Wagner.
The MoD said the Russian state had acted against some other business interests of Wagner owner Yevgeny Prigozhin after his failed mutiny against the Russian army’s top brass in June.
“If the Russian state no longer pays Wagner, the second most plausible paymasters are the Belarusian authorities,” it said, adding that this would be a drain on Belarus’s resources.
The MoD said the Wagner Group was moving towards downsizing and reconfiguring to save on staff salary expenses due to financial pressures.
It comes after Poland’s defence minister has said the country intends to put 10,000 soldiers along its border with Belarus due to the arrival of Wanger forces in the neighbouring state.
Warsaw is concerned about the presence of Wagner mercenaries in Belarus and migrants trying to cross the border.
In an interview given to state radio, Mariusz Blaszczak said 10,000 soldiers would ultimately be deployed to the border area.
He made the announcement a day after a different official said Poland was sending 2,000 additional troops to the border, essentially doubling its military presence there.
The soldiers are being sent to reinforce the work of police and Border Guard officers.
