A plane belonging to Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner military company, arrived in Belarus, according to Belaruski Gajun, a group of activists monitoring military movements. The Embraer Legacy 600 jet arrived from Russia on Tuesday at 11:05.
This is the fourth time his jet has been spotted arriving in Belarus, according to Gajun quoted by the ELTA news agency. When the plane previously landed in Belarus, Prigozhin was photographed allegedly at the camp that will host his group following the short-lived rebellion.
The activists in Belarus also said four Wagner convoys entered the country on Tuesday.
Lithuanian officials have publicly downplayed the risk associated with the Wagner group being based in Belarus, but Vilnius does acknowledge it poses an additional risk factor.
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On Monday evening, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said Wagner’s arrival increases insecurity. Nausėda said he previously warned that Minsk was preparing infrastructure for 8,000 Wagner mercenaries.
“It is only a matter of hours to change plans and move them [Wagner] to the western borders” with Poland and Lithuania, said Nausėda.
Previously, Lithuanian Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas said Wagner will likely use Belarus as a logistics base for its operations in Africa.
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