Richard Dannatt, a former British army general, has raised concerns about a potential attack on Ukraine from Belarus by Wagner fighters if a significant number of mercenaries choose to follow their leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, into exile there.
Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, a day after Prigozhin called off the short-lived Wagner mutiny against Russian authorities, Dannatt expressed his apprehension about Prigozhin’s relocation to Belarus. The exact number of fighters who might accompany him to the neighboring Russian-allied country remains uncertain. The armed component of the private military company is estimated to consist of around 25,000 individuals.
Dannatt warned that if Prigozhin has managed to maintain an effective fighting force around him, it poses a renewed threat to the Ukrainian flank closest to Kyiv, where the conflict began on February 24th last year.
Considering the recent events, Dannatt stated that it is “quite possible” that Russia may utilize the Wagner Group in another attempt to seize Kyiv, following the short-lived rebellion that concluded with Prigozhin agreeing to de-escalate and relocate to Belarus.
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