Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki claimed Saturday that the Wagner Group’s mercenaries in Belarus were moving closer to the border of Poland, the Associated Press reported.
Morawiecki said the troops are close to the Suwalki Gap, an important portion of Poland between Belarus and Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave. Poland is a member of NATO and the European Union, making possible threats against the country riskier for members of the two organizations due to mutual defense pacts.
Poland’s government called the migration a form of “hybrid warfare,” and has responded by building a high wall, according to AP.
“Now the situation becomes even more dangerous,” Morawiecki told reporters, adding that “this is certainly a step towards a further hybrid attack on Polish territory.”
The militant group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, fought extensively on behalf of Russia in the ongoing war, but gained notoriety after its brief mutiny against the Russian government. Prigozhin and his army relocated to Belarus after a deal was reached between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin and charges against the militant leader were dropped.
The United Kingdom, also a member of NATO, continue to issue warnings earlier this week that the Wagner Group still poses a threat to the West.
Their report, released Wednesday, claimed that despite the appearance of severed ties with the Russian government, Prigozhin’s army could be employed by other countries.
“Even when the Wagner Network has not acted as a direct proxy of the Russian Government, the Kremlin is likely to have benefited from its presence,” the British Parliament said in the report. “So long as the Wagner Network survives in some form, we believe that countries may still, despite an apparent failure of Wagner to deliver on their commitments, turn to the network for security reasons, despite the high price: atrocities, corruption and the plunder of natural resources.”
The news comes after Prighozin was spotted Thursday in St. Petersburg during a summit between Russia and Africa — the first time he’s been seen in Russia since leaving the country.