Nearly three dozen suspected Russian mercenaries in “military-style clothing” were detained in Belarus, accused of trying to destabilize the country before its next presidential elections.
The state media reports that the 33 detainees work for Wagner, a private military company linked to Yevgeny Prigozhin. Prigozhin is a Russian businessman accused in the United States of meddling in the 2016 presidential election in the United States. Wagner deployed hundreds of contractors in conflict zones such as eastern Ukraine, Syria, and Libya.
“The guests drew attention to themselves because they did not behave as Russian tourists usually do and wore military-style clothing,” the Belta news agency reported Thursday, according to Reuters.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko chairs an urgent Security Council meeting after the arrest of more than 30 suspected Russian mercenaries by Belarusian security forces in Minsk, Belarus, on Wednesday. (Belta / Reuters)
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The suspected mercenaries, who authorities say are detained on charges of planning terrorist acts, arrived in the Belarusian capital of Minsk on July 24 and were detained on Wednesday while exploring a seaside resort.
A senior Belarusian security official also said 14 of the detainees had spent time in the Donbass region of Ukraine, where Russian-backed fighters have been involved in a territorial dispute since 2014, Reuters reported.
Images broadcast on state television reportedly showed the group was gathered in underwear, and images of an individual’s belongings included a Russian passport and military-style patches.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is seeking a sixth term in an August 9 election amid opposition protests fueled by public fatigue with his government and the painful economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. It has accused Russian forces of interfering with the next vote, but Moscow has denied any involvement.
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With the capture of the alleged mercenaries, Lukashenko has demanded an official explanation.
“It is necessary to immediately ask the relevant Russian structures to explain what is going on,” Lukashenko said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Thursday that 33 Russian citizens were detained in Belarus and said Moscow hopes to obtain more information on the incident.
“There is no information about any crime by the Russians that may have caused the arrest. We don’t know anything about it, “Peskov said, calling the allegations” nothing more than innuendo. “
But Belarusian Security Council secretary Andrei Ravkov said the country’s police are looking for more Russian contractors within its borders.
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“Up to 200 militants are in our territory,” said Ravkov on Thursday. “The search continues. It is like a needle in a haystack.”
On Thursday morning, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry also summoned the Russian ambassador to Belarus, Dmitry Mezentsev. At the same time, presidential candidates were informed of increased security at campaign events.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
