Wagner mercenaries have arrived in Belarus, Ukraine confirms

Ukraine's borderline defender work has confirmed that Wagner mercenaries person present arrived successful Belarus from neighbouring Russia.

The DPSU says it is assessing however galore "militants" are successful Belarus, which besides shares a borderline with Ukraine, arsenic good arsenic their nonstop determination and goals.

One unconfirmed study said a convoy of immoderate 60 Wagner vehicles rolled implicit the borderline into Belarus aboriginal connected Saturday.

In June, Wagner's mutiny challenged President Vladimir Putin's authority.

A woody ended the 24-hour rebellion, which saw the troops prehend a metropolis and march connected Moscow - aborting it conscionable 200km (124 miles) from the capital.

Under the agreement, Wagner fighters were told they could articulation either the regular Russian service oregon spell to Belarus, a adjacent state of Russia. The Wagner leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was besides offered a determination to Belarus, nevertheless his existent whereabouts are unknown.

The Wagner radical is simply a pro-Russian separatist unit made up of mercenary fighters - galore of whom were recruited from Russian prisons. They person fought immoderate of the bloodiest battles since Russia launched its full-scale penetration of Ukraine successful February past year.

On Friday, Belarus' defence ministry said Wagner troops were present acting arsenic subject instructors for the country's territorial defence forces.

The ministry said the fighters were grooming Belarusian forces "in a fig of subject disciplines" adjacent the municipality of Osipovichy, astir 85km (53 miles) south-east of the superior Minsk.

Earlier this week, President Putin revealed that Prigozhin had rejected an connection for his fighters to articulation the Russian service arsenic a regular unit.

He told Russia's Kommersant paper that galore radical commanders had backed the plan, to beryllium led by a elder Wagner figure, during talks successful Moscow connected 29 June.

But helium said that Prigozhin's reply was "the guys [Wagner troops] bash not hold with this decision".

Mr Putin besides said that nether Russian law, Wagner "does not exist", due to the fact that mercenary groups are not officially recognised. But that "difficult issue" should beryllium discussed successful parliament, the president added.

The Kremlin appears to privation to differentiate betwixt the Wagner main and regular Wagner fighters, driving a wedge betwixt them, says the BBC's Russia exertion Steve Rosenberg successful Moscow.

He adds that this would explicate the attempts successful Russia's authorities media to discredit Prigozhin.

Since the 23 June mutiny, determination person been conflicting and unconfirmed reports of Prigozhin's whereabouts.

He is simply a erstwhile Putin loyalist and erstwhile adjacent nicknamed "Putin's chef" for his catering contracts with the Kremlin. But nationalist infighting betwixt Prigozhin and Russia's ministry of defence implicit the behaviour of the warfare person enactment him astatine steep likelihood with Russia government.

US President Joe Biden said connected Thursday that Prigozhin should beryllium cautious of poisoning pursuing the mutiny.