Polish military intelligence (SWW) has expressed concern over the activities of a training center established by the Wagner Group at the Vitebsk-Severny airbase in Belarus, where courses on the use of combat drones are being conducted.
According to SWW, in late February, fighters from the 36th Special Forces Battalion of the Libyan National Army (LNA), commanded by Khalifa Haftar, underwent training there. A contingent from Mali is expected to arrive for similar training, as reported by the Intelligence Online.
The three-week courses include training in operating tactical reconnaissance and strike drones such as the Autel Robotics Evo II and DJI Mavic 3 Pro, as well as using bomb-dropping systems. Participants learn how to assemble FPV drones using 3D printers, program onboard software, and deploy anti-personnel and anti-tank charges. The training center is equipped with an extensive network of trenches and burned-out armored vehicles to simulate real combat conditions similar to those on the Ukrainian battlefield.
Additionally, trainees receive instruction on jamming and intercepting drones using SERP-VS6D electronic warfare systems supplied by the Russian state corporation Rostec. Training is also conducted at the abandoned Zhurzhevo airbase.
SWW and Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) are concerned that the presence of Wagner Group militants in Belarus—approved by Alexander Lukashenko in June 2023—could lead to covert and destabilizing operations targeting Poland. These concerns have intensified since September 2024, when Russian mercenaries began training Belarusian armed forces in drone warfare tactics.
