Razgruzka Wagnera, a Telegram channel close to PMC Wagner, has posted a statement made by a so-called “member of the commanders council”, callsign Marx, who says up to 10,000 mercenaries are about to arrive in Belarus.
“Here’s the maths. A total of 78,000 Wagner fighters were involved in the Ukraine campaign. Of those, 49,000 were convicts. As of 20 May, Wagner had 22,000 fighters killed, and 40,000 injured. A total of 25,000 unharmed, plus the injured who were receiving their treatment. Up to ten thousand will move to Belarus. Another 15 thousand have left on vacation.
“Marx” has commented on a statement made by Russian MP Vladimir Shamnov who claimed that 32-33 thousand Wagner mercenaries had signed contracts with the Defence Ministry.
“It’s unclear to me how this figure was calculated. If all the people who were killed or left on vacation signed their contracts, then it’s possible,” he added.
Around 2,000-2,500 Wagner fighters are in Belarus as of 19 July, says the Belaruski Gajun project.
On 19 July, Telegram channels close to PMC Wagner posted a video of Yevgeny Prigozhin addressing his mercenaries who had arrived in Belarus.
“What is going on now on the front lines is a disgrace, and we shouldn’t be a part of it. We should be waiting for a chance to prove ourselves worthy. Therefore, we shall be staying here in Belarus for a while,” Prigozhin said.
He also added that while the mercenaries will be staying in Belarus, they will turn the Belarusian military into “the world’s second best military”. “And we’ll stand up for them if necessary,” he added.