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Some of the mercenaries extradited by Belarus to Russia fought in the Donbass on the side of the “DPR” and the “LPR” (Photo: Collage NV)
Bellingcat makes a film about the failure of the special operation to capture the militants of PMC Wagner after a meeting in the Presidency. Bellingcat frontman Hristo Grozev spoke about this in an interview with Ales Batsman, editor-in-chief of online publication Gordon.
According to Grozev, Bellingcat investigators have found evidence of the existence of a special operation, which was carried out by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Defense Ministry in cooperation with SBU officials. They want to publicize the first part of the research in the first quarter of 2021:
«We will try to do this in two parts. The first is investigative journalism. You will use some of the information collected and the interviews. Most likely it will be in February. And the movie itself, long and high-quality, will be ready later, a year from now, [вероятно] fall “.
Grozev also said that the Ukrainian military intelligence together with the SBU proposed «an ingenious “plan to fool the GRU, FSB and” Wagnerists “, but the government repudiated it. He believes the simplest explanation is” fear “of going into such a confrontation with Russia.
Journalist Yuri Butusov wrote on Facebook that he had already given an interview in Kiev for the Bellingcat project and that a film crew had started work in the capital.
«Bellingcat will ensure that the failure of the special operation has the maximum international resonance that will be seen in all the capitals of the world. The reason for this resonance is the participation of the secret services of NATO countries, including the United States, in the operation to capture Russian terrorists, some of whom fought in the Donbass and in Syria, ”he said.
On July 29, 2020, Belarusian security forces announced the arrest of 33 militants from Wagner’s unofficial private Kremlin-controlled military company. A few days later, on August 2, the Belarusian prosecutor’s office chose a measure of restraint in the form of arrest.
Minsk called on the goal of the PMC fighters to destabilize the situation in the country before the presidential elections. Some of the detainees fought in the Donbas on the side «DNR “and” LPR. “Contrary to Ukraine’s extradition request, Belarus extradited mercenaries to the Russian Federation.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called this decision unfair and inconsistent with friendly relations between states.
According to Yuri Butusov, the arrival «Wagnerians ”to Belarus was part of the operation of the Ukrainian special services, which tried to get them out of the Russian Federation. Previously, these militants fought in the Donbass and were involved, in particular, in the destruction of the Il-76 aircraft in June 2014, which resulted in the death of 49 Ukrainian servicemen.
Journalist Yanina Sokolova released audio recordings that presumably recorded the negotiations between the mercenaries and the undercover SBU operation that recruited them.
The Ukrainian authorities deny the existence of a special operation against «Wagnerians “.
«Delirium. I have read it. Sad that some media outlets reprinted Komsomolskaya Pravda (looks Russian), caused a sensation in Ukraine. I am not aware of any ‘leak’ from any kind of operation, “said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, commenting on allegations that the special operation was foiled by employees of his Office.
Butusov and Sokolova were summoned for questioning by the State Intelligence Directorate in the case of “revealing secret information”.
