Ukraine strengthens border with Belarus to make it ‘impassable’ with an eye on Wagner

Ukraine is bolstering its northern border defenses to make it “impassable” for enemy forces as Kyiv cautiously eyes the presence of Wagner forces in Belarus.

Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Serhii Naiev said: “We know that mercenaries of the Wagner PMC have been arriving in Belarus recently. But we are already responding and making the state border of Ukraine completely impassable for enemy forces,” state news agency Ukrinform cited him as saying.

Naiev stressed: “If they try to set their dirty boots on Ukrainian soil, they will face death. We will additionally reinforce sections of the state border with non-explosive and explosive barriers that will be a surprise for the enemy.”

“In Chernihiv region, more than 40 km of anti-tank ditches have been dug in one direction alone. More than 30,000 different mine traps have been set up for the enemy forces,” he added.

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Many Wagner fighters have arrived in Belarus and Minsk said on July 14 that the mercenaries were training Belarussian soldiers as instructors, according to BelTA citing the defense ministry.

Belaruski Hajun, a Belarusian activist group that monitors troops movements in Belarus, reported this week that a fourth Wagner convoy was detected.

There may be a risk of Wagner forces launching an attack from the Belarusian border, according to the former British Army chief of general staff General Richard Dannatt. He said last month that Ukraine should bolster its defenses against a potential attack led by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin launched at Kyiv from Belarus.

He added that if Prigozhin has “kept an effective fighting force around him then he presents a threat again to the Ukrainian flank closest to Kyiv,” where the war began. Lord Dannatt said it “is quite possible” that Russia may use Wagner forces to try and take the Ukrainian capital again.

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