Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda stated that the presence of Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group in Belarus poses a serious threat. He emphasized that the reports of a potential Wagner Group deployment in Belarus cannot be ignored, and the threat of provocations against Lithuania, Poland, and Latvia is significant. Gitanas Nauseda's statement is reported by LRT.
Following the attempted coup by Wagner Group in Russia, Lithuania took additional measures to address the situation. President Nauseda assured that the situation is being closely monitored, and if provocations occur, the Lithuanian Armed Forces are ready to support the border guards.
In mid-July, Belarus announced joint military exercises with Wagner Group at the "Brest" training ground near the Polish border. According to the State Border Guard Service, approximately 5,000 Russian Wagner Group mercenaries were present in Belarus as of July 22.
Meanwhile, Warsaw is in talks with Latvia and Lithuania to determine how to respond to the presence of mercenaries, and the three countries are considering the possibility of closing their borders with Belarus if necessary.
