ISW: Lukashenko may use Wagner fighters to restore capabilities of Belarus

Lukashenko likely seeks to use the Wagner Group in Belarus to buy maneuvering space to balance against the Kremlin campaign to absorb Belarus via the Union State, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Report informs.

“Lukashenko may seek to use the Wagner Group in Belarus to reduce the Belarusian military’s accumulated structural dependency on the Russian military for higher operational functions. Lukashenko may seek to use the Wagner Group to help rebuild lost capability within the Belarusian military that the Belarusian military largely delegated to the Russian Western Military District,” reads the report.

Lukashenko’s description suggests that the Wagner Group will primarily act as a training and advisory partner for the Belarusian military.