Russian mercenary forces belonging to the Wagner group that staged an armed march on Moscow are now training soldiers in Belarus.
"[C]lasses are being held with units of territorial troops," the Belarusian Defense Ministry announced via Telegram. "Conscripts master the skills of moving on the battlefield and tactical shooting, gaining knowledge in engineering training and tactical medicine."
"PMC 'Wagner' fighters acted as instructors in a number of military disciplines," the posted concluded. It also includes footage of soldiers, though the scope of the training operations remains unclear.
Wagner forces have proven to be some of the most effective soldiers in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, spearheading Moscow's successful seizure of Bakhmut and fighting in the Donbass area.
The mercenary force caught the world's attention last month when leader Yevgeny Prigozhin marched his troops off the front, seized the Russian military command headquarters in Rostov-on-Don and marched toward Moscow, seemingly intent on ousting senior military leaders, whom he accused of targeting his forces.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko successfully intervened in what might have otherwise become a bloody incident, negotiating a deal in which Wagner troops would abandon their march on Moscow, relocate to Belarus, and receive security guarantees from the Russian government that they would not face retaliation.
Prigozhin's status and location remains unclear, though he reportedly met with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the episode.
Russian forces have stationed thousands of troops in Belarus and attempted to take Kyiv through the country last year. Fears remain among Ukrainians that they might return for a second shot at the beleaguered nation's capital city.
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