PMC Wagner personnel to stay in Belarus after Prigozhin's aircraft crash

As many personnel of the private military company Wagner as necessary will stay in Belarus, BelTA learned from Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko. Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “PMC Wagner lived, PMC Wagner lives, and PMC Wagner will live in Belarus despite anyone's wishes to the contrary. Prigozhin and I came up with a system of how PMC Wagner will be accommodated in Belarus. And these satellite images claiming that we are dismantling something… Why are we removing extra tents? We don't need that many.

The core will stay here. Some are on leave. Some decided to live somewhere else but the core has their contact information.

Within several days all of them will be here. Up to 10,000 people. There is no need to keep them here now.

They will come here in certain batches for training. If Russia wants to take them for rotation to Africa, go ahead, we don't mind it, those people may stay here. We help and support them.

This is why they are not fleeing anywhere. As many people as this unit and we need will live and work in Belarus. We will honor our promise.

They know the terms.” The head of state added: “And by the way, they pay for everything: for tents, for water. And another point. They live in tents.

We are repairing barracks for them. It was my demand. They had not intended to live in tents.

They have always lived in dugout shelters. I said: ‘Up to you, guys. We will help you dig them out if you want.