Wagner PMC builds fortifications at a training ground in Belarus and continues to recruit new mercenaries in Russia

RFE/RL's Belarus Service has published satellite images showing numerous new fortifications on the territory of the Repishche training ground near the town of Asipovichy in Belarus. The training ground is located 15 kilometres from the Russian mercenary camp in the village of Tsel. 

In addition, the Wagner PMC is likely to continue to recruit fighters in Russia, despite Prigozhin's statements. 

The Russian publication Vazhnyye Istorii (IStories) reports that the recruitment of new mercenaries in Novosibirsk, Russia, continues. The Novosibirsk so-called veterans' organisation “Power Unity of Siberia” allegedly conducts new recruitment to the PMC every Friday.

"The candidate must not have a criminal record, chronic diseases or debts on the basis of the Federal Bailiff Service, and must have a military speciality and a foreign passport," the Russian publication reads.

Recruitment centres first announce recruitment for the African direction, but after selection, they can allegedly send them to Ukraine. Wagner's recruitment centres did not confirm this information, but a Vazhnyye Istorii correspondent received an offer to go to Ukraine without signing a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defence as part of another PMC, the Redut company. The Redut PMC is linked to the Russian company Gazprom.

On July 30, the owner of Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said that the PMC was suspending the recruitment of mercenaries because it had a "large personnel reserve".