Wagner move to Belarus aimed at intimidating Ukraine - General Nayev

The actions of the notorious Wagner Group in Belarus, the country bordering Ukraine in the north, are supposed to exert psychological pressure on and intimidate the Ukrainian population, says Joint Forces Commander Lieutenant General Serhiy Nayev.

That’s according to JF Command’s press service, Ukrinform reports.

The comment came as Nayev attended a military training session at a critical infrastructure facility in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone.

"The activities in which members of Wagner Group are now involved are aimed at psychological pressure on the population of Ukraine – for the sake of their intimidation. But we don’t need to be intimidated because we know what we have to do and we are doing everything to ensure that the enemy's reconnaissance and sabotage forces are unable to successfully operate on the territory of Ukraine, in particular toward Kyiv in the Chornobyl zone," the lieutenant general emphasized.

According to the commander, in order to prevent the enemy from penetrating the border, five sections of roads leading to the state border with Belarus were destroyed over the last week. More than 60 log obstacles were created and mined. More than 2,500 anti-tank mines were planted. In addition, military drills are held on a weekly basis.

"Our guys are highly motivated and well-trained. We are doing everything to ensure that the Ukrainian population believes in our Armed Forces," Nayev stressed.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, several convoys of Wagner Group personnel and equipment arrived in Belarus. Earlier, the Belarus authorities of Belarus reportedly allowed the group to set up camp in the village of Tsel in Mogilev region which would be able to host almost 9,000 people.