Belarus to hand over detained Wagner mercenaries to Russia
Mercenaries from the Russian Private Military Company the Wagner Group, who were detained near Minsk, can be handed over to Russia very soon, reported Interfax, citing an unnamed source.
According to media reports, the mercenaries "will be handed over to the Russia for further investigation in the near future, possibly before the end of the week." They will leave Minsk, presumably by air.
The Russian Embassy in Belarus has confirmed that work is underway to return detained Russians.
Earlier, Ukraine sent a request to the Prosecutor General's Office of Belarus for the extradition of 28 detained Wagner mercenaries, including 9 - citizens of Ukraine. Kyiv said that all of them took part in the conflict in Donbas.
On July 29, 33 Russians, allegedly members of the Russian Private Military Company the Wagner Group, were detained near Minsk. Belarusian media reported that the country's law enforcement agencies were informed about the arrival of more than 200 militants in Belarus "to destabilize the situation during the election campaign." The Russians first stayed in one of the hotels in Minsk, and then moved to a resort near Minsk.
Deputy Secretary of the Ukrainian National Security Council Serhiy Kryvonos said that Ukraine will demand the extradition of its natives detained in Belarus along with other militants. The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) confirmed its intention to request their extradition. Putin's spokesman said Russia does not recognize the Ukrainian citizenship of the detained militants.