Wagner Fighters to Remain in Belarusian Army for Contract Service, Says Lukashenko

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has announced his intention to retain Wagner fighters within the Belarusian army for contract service.

“It was my initiative to deploy Wagner fighters in Belarus, and I do not regret it. I want to keep these guys in our country's armed forces. Based on this, we will more actively create a contract army,” he stated.

Lukashenko also noted that some units of Wagner have transitioned to the regular Russian army, and are performing operations in Africa, while a portion will remain in Belarus.