7/15/23
Russian lawmaker Andrey Kartapolov suggested that President Vladimir Putin expelled the Wagner Group to Belarus to allegedly prepare for an attack against Poland during a recent appearance on Russian state television.
Last month, Putin exiled Wagner Group forces to Belarus following a failed mutiny against Russian military leadership that followed months of simmering tensions over Moscow’s stagnant invasion of Ukraine, which has seen Russian forces struggle to achieve their goals despite the vast size of its military. The attempted rebellion saw a breakdown of relations between the Kremlin and Wagner Group founder and leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, a longtime Putin ally. Meanwhile, much about the paramilitary organization’s plans in Belarus remain unknown.
However, Kartapolov said during a recent appearance on Russia-1’s Evening with Vladimir Solovyov that Wagner forces may be preparing for a new attack against Poland, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Kartapolov’s claims could not be independently confirmed by Newsweek, and neither Putin nor Wagner leadership have signaled that there are imminent plans to invade Poland.
Kartapolov said Wagner troops were sent to “train” Belarusian soldiers in preparation for a potential attack against Poland to potentially seize control of the Suwałki Gap, a small but strategically important strip of Polish territory between Russia and the exclave of Kaliningrad that has long been a sticking point for Russia. His remarks come after Poland moved troops last week to its Eastern border due to Wagner concerns.
“It is clear that Wagner PMC went to Belarus to train the Belarusian Armed Forces,” Kartapolov said. “Not only and not so much. There is such a thing as the Suwałki Corridor. You know very well what it is. Should anything happen, we need this Suwałki Corridor very much.”
He added that the Wagner Group will be prepared to take control of the land in a matter of hours.
“The Ministry of Defense will figure out what they gave and what they took. I’m not talking about that, but about the fact that a strike force is ready to take this small corridor in a matter of hours,” Kartapolov said.
Video of his remarks were translated and posted to Twitter by the account TheKremlinYap on Saturday morning.
Newsweek reached out to NATO and the Polish Ministry of Defense for comment via email.
Kartapolov’s remarks received pushback from Russian state TV host Vladimir Solovyov, who pointed out that the Wagner Group turned over equipment to Russian authorities before leaving the country.
The Suwalki Gap is a sparsely populated, yet crucial, strip of land that runs along Poland’s northeastern border. The region is particularly important because it offers the only land connection between NATO and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, meaning Russian control of this land would cut Poland off from the rest of Europe.
The geopolitical importance of the corridor has long drawn concerns about its vulnerability to a Russian attack, which would also draw a NATO response due to the alliance’s Article 5, which states that an attack on one NATO country would be treated as an attack against all members of the coalition.
Poland has moved more than 1,000 troops to the east of the country amid concerns that Wagner Group’s presence in Belarus could lead to increased instability, according to Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak.
“Over 1,000 soldiers and almost 200 units of equipment from the 12th and 17th Mechanized Brigades are starting to move to the east of the country as part of the ‘Safe Podlasie’ operation. This is a demonstration of our readiness to respond to attempts at destabilization near the border of our country,” he tweeted last Saturday.
Yeah sure when pugs fly. These people really are delusional
Cool new avatar you’ve got there, sir Cap.
I think I owe to you. When we started taking about the tryzub it got me thinking about all my years seeing and knowing our national symbol but never really understanding it’s genesis. I think it’s my way of saying “where the hell have I been my whole life in not knowing why the teyzub is so important to us”. So I thank everyone on this site including Foccusser who put the Wikipedia link that gave an explanation. Another gem about our heritage of which we have many
Cheers and budmo, sir Cap!
Russian pigs attacking one of NATO members with what? Sticks & stones?
The cockroaches could not do Ukraine a bigger favor than to attack Poland. However, I seriously doubt that they would dare. Poland is not a pushover anymore, and the mafia army is only a shadow of its former self.
Oh, and Poland is a NATO member, too, for whatever that’s worth.
What will they attack Poland with, Putler seized all their weapons? Unless Luka arms a few tractors with spud guns to scare the Poles. 😊
Don’t underestimate the mustachioed potato president’s spud guns and his armored tractors. 😁
Bhaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Who knows perhaps they have some paint guns available
No matter what the wags turned over, IMO they are still well armed.
“The region is particularly important because it offers the only land connection between NATO and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, meaning Russian control of this land would cut Poland off from the rest of Europe.”
That is a stone cold fact. It has been a topic of discussion ever since putler’s nazi imperialism became evident.
The allies have had many years to prepare for such an eventuality. Surely they wouldn’t be caught out now?
The overwhelming priority is to eject putler’s nazi filth from all Ukraine, but obviously the rat and his cauldron of devilry will be constantly plotting all sorts of other horrors.
Remember Bill Browder saying over a year ago:
“He’s the most evil man in the world and he’s got lots of evil things planned.”
A victory for Ukraine, a stalemate or (almost unthinkable), a victory for putler: all could have unpleasant and unpredictable consequences.
Might the filthy bastard decide on a “consolation prize?” Such as Kazakhstan, Armenia or Georgia?
They are perhaps more likely than Poland?
Btw, the DT and others are running a few new “putler’s finished” articles. I’ll put the best ones up.
Can’t do any harm I suppose…
“The region is particularly important because it offers the only land connection between NATO and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, meaning Russian control of this land would cut Poland off from the rest of Europe.”
That is not correct. It would not cut off Poland from the rest of NATO, but would cut off Estonia, Latvia nd Lithuania from the rest of NATO.
Putin is still whining that Poland and Lithuania won’t allow Russia so ship stuff through Lithuania and Poland to Kaliningrad.