The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Belarus, Dmitry Mezentsev, and the Minister-Counsellor, acting head of the Embassy of Ukraine in Belarus, Petr Vrublevsky, were successively invited to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today. This was reported to BELTA by the press service of the Belarusian MFA.
The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Belarus, Dmitry Mezentsev, and the Minister-Counsellor, acting head of the Embassy of Ukraine in Belarus, Petr Vrublevsky, were successively invited to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today. This was reported to BELTA by the press service of the Belarusian MFA.
"Substantive information was conveyed to the Russian side regarding the group of Russian citizens detained by law enforcement agencies on the territory of Belarus the day before, belonging to the so-called Wagner private military company," the foreign ministry noted.
The MFA also stated that "detailed explanations were requested from the Russian Ambassador regarding the purposes and other aspects of the arrival and stay in our country of the aforementioned organised group of individuals, many of whom have proven experience in armed conflicts."
"Taking into account the confirmed information about the participation of a number of detainees in hostilities in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, and the Ukrainian origin and citizenship of some of them, relevant information was requested from Petr Vrublevsky, which can be used for a comprehensive analysis and assessment of the reasons for their presence in Belarus," the press service informed.
"Taking into account the aforementioned disturbing fact, as well as the ongoing election campaign in Belarus, an agreement has been reached with the Ukrainian side to intensify cooperation between border agencies and strengthen border controls in order to prevent destabilisation of the situation in both countries," the MFA emphasised.