A key member of the Belarusian opposition claims the country could be forming a cell of mercenaries similar to Russia’s infamous Wagner Group, raising concerns of a potentially new wrinkle in Ukrainian efforts to fight the nearly year-old invasion into the country by Russian forces and its allies.
In an interview with Deutsche Welle—a state-owned German news outlet—Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s defense and security representative Valeriy Sakhashchyk claimed Belarus’ state-backed security company, Gardservis, has “significantly increased” its number of employees in recent months, and could be preparing to participate in military operations.
“The training and recruitment have been going on for several months,” he told the outlet. “The staff has been increased by officers, ensigns, sergeants and soldiers who served in the special operations forces and in the special units of the law enforcement agencies of Belarus.”
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