In the wake of the uprising by Wagner Group forces in Russia, the US and Europe have turned their gaze to an increasingly unpredictable Belarus.
But so far, US and European officials have not seen clear signs that either scenario is unfolding. While officials are closely monitoring an apparent military camp that sprung up outside of Minsk following the uprising in southern Russia, Wagner troops do not appear to have moved into the country en masse.
Available satellite imagery has also not shown any signs of the kind of preparations and security that would be standard at a Russian nuclear facility. Russia has the world’s largest arsenal of nuclear weapons, with 4,477 deployed and reserve nuclear warheads, including around 1,900 tactical nuclear weapons, according to the Federation of American Scientists. It is not clear how many of those Russia is potentially planning to deploy to Belarus.
The 12th Main Directorate of the Ministry of Defense has controlled Russia’s nuclear arsenal since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Experts say it would be surprising if another body was assigned control of any tactical nuclear warheads in Belarus. A senior officer from the Directorate did travel to Belarus in the spring.
The countries’ presidents wrote a letter to the NATO secretary general and the heads of the NATO alliance on Friday, warning them about the threat “posed by Russia’s aggressive actions and the evolving situation in Belarus.” Officials have been closely monitoring signs that a military garrison around 50 miles southeast of Minsk is being revived, possibly for use by Wagner forces. The Belarusian government on Friday gave foreign media, including CNN, a tour of the garrison, which could be used to house Wagner fighters if they come to the country.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Wagner fighters preparing to move to Belarus, commander quoted as sayingMercenary fighters of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner group are preparing to move to Belarus under the terms of a deal that defused their mutiny against Russia’s military leadership, a senior commander of the group was quoted as saying. | Reuters
Read more »
Poland moves troops to eastern border amid Wagner fearsPoland began moving over 1,000 troops to the east of the country on Saturday, the defense minister said, amid rising concern in the NATO-member that the presence of Wagner Group fighters in Belarus could lead to increased tension on its border. | Reuters
Read more »
NATO flexes muscle to protect Vilnius summit near Russia, BelarusNATO has turned Vilnius into a fortress defended by advanced weaponry to protect U.S. President Joe Biden and other alliance leaders meeting next week only 32 km from Lithuania’s razor-wire topped border fence with Russian ally Belarus. | Reuters
Read more »
Health workers’ group hits P40 NCR minimum wage hike: Inhumane, insult to employees“[This] is meager and cannot keep up with the skyrocketing prices of goods and commodities. This miniscule increase in minimum wage shows the [lack] of genuine concern,” the Alliance of Health Workers said. | charieabarcaINQ
Read more »
Group asks gov’t: Allow e-motorcycles with 50 kph top speed in bike lanesMANILA, Philippines — E-motorcycles with top speeds up to 50 kilometers per hour should be allowed in bicycle lanes, consumer advocacy group CitizenWatch Philippines asserted Friday. The call
Read more »
World Bank, PH-based group sign grant to support ex-MILF fighters' livelihoodsThe World Bank and the Philippine-based Community Family Services International (CFSI) have inked a $4-million grant deal (around ₱222 million) for a project intended to boost sustainable livelihoods and community participation of former Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants.
Read more »