Opinions & Interviews

Lukashenko: Belarus was ready to send special forces to defend Moscow

An archive photo

MINSK, 6 July (BelTA) – Belarus was ready to send army units to Russia in order to defend Moscow the day the private military company Wagner staged an armed mutiny. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the statement as he met with reporters of foreign and Belarusian mass media, BelTA has learned.

Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked that it was necessary to nip the dangerous situation with PMC Wagner in the bud. Otherwise, the situation could have spread onto entire Russia and even could have spread beyond Russia.

The head of state noted he had warned Wagner’s boss Yevgeny Prigozhin about it: “I said: Yevgeny, don’t take offense with me but our Belarusian army has been brought to full combat readiness. Army units have been designated and are being prepared for redeployment to the Moscow area. We will defend Moscow together with Putin.”

Aleksandr Lukashenko said that special forces had been prepared for transportation to Moscow. “The first 5-7 aircraft landed in Belarus in order to deliver a Belarusian special forces brigade to the Moscow area. They are roughly as good as Wagner personnel or they may be even better. And you understand how this conflict could have grown larger. We’d agreed [with the Russian side] to airlift personnel fast if necessary,” the president stated.

The aircraft were provided by the Russian Defense Ministry. “The first special forces brigade was already ready. If it was necessary to involve special operations forces (we have them), we were ready to bring them,” he added.

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