Heavily armed Wagner Group mercenaries thought to be joining Yevgeny Prigozhin in Belarus will be based close to military bases which are home to nuclear weapons, an MP and former British Army officer has warned.
And Foreign Secretary James Cleverly promised to keep a “very, very close eye” on the whereabouts of the fighters.
Tory Bob Seely told the Commons: “The latest news, if it is to be believed, is that 8,000 Wagner mercenaries are going to be joining Yevgeny Prigozhin in Belarus in a small town called Asipovichy, where some bases, I understand, are being built under dictator Alexander Lukashenko’s request.”
The Isle of Wight MP added: “Without wishing to speculate whether this brigade-sized force is going to – in the short to medium-term – be a greater threat to Lukashenko or to Putin, will he reassure us that their movements, that this base, is going to be very closely monitored given its proximity not only to Russian nuclear weapons – and we’ve seen the very dual loyalties that the Russian army has towards Wagner – but also now their proximity to NATO borders?”
READ MORE Wagner chief Prigozhin is ‘West’s worst nightmare’ [ANALYSIS] 
Wagner Group mercenaries in Rostov, Russia at the weekend (Image: AP)
Mr Cleverly replied: “I’m not at all sure I’d be very comfortable with 8,000 Wagner fighters being my friends anywhere or anytime soon.
“We have made it absolutely clear to the Belarussian government that we expect them not to be involved and not to facilitate attacks into Ukraine.
“We will, of course, keep a very, very close eye on reporting around the locations and activity of those Wagner fighters in Belarus.”
The Wagner mutiny in Russia was an “unprecedented” attack on Vladimir Putin‘s authority that exposed “cracks” in domestic support for the war in Ukraine Mr Cleverly said.
A Wagner Group mercenary in Rostov, Russia at the weekend (Image: AP)
The Foreign Secretary said the “mask slipped” when warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin “drove a coach and horses” through the Russian president’s case for the invasion during their bitter row.
The feud between Mr Prigozhin and the Kremlin’s military top brass culminated with him sending his mercenaries on a march towards Moscow over the weekend.
A civil war was avoided by a deal brokered between the factions but Mr Cleverly said the chaos showed Ukraine not Russia has the “strategic patience” to win the war.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace sounded a note of caution about over-analysing the dramatic events of the weekend, warning against “over-crediting” its destabilising impact.
Meanwhile Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said it is “too early” to determine whether the rebellion could spark a regime change in Moscow but said the UK is preparing for a “range of scenarios”.
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Friday, June 23
Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed Russian soldiers bombed his Wagner mercenaries in Ukraine. Tensions between the Russian army and Wagner mercenaries had been building for months, with Prigozhin a vocal critic of Russia’s efforts in Ukraine.
Mercenaries from the Wagner Group had previously led the Kremlin’s efforts to capture the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut where fighting between Ukraine and Russia raged for months, with reports of high casualties on both sides.
Saturday, June 24
Prigozhin called for a “march for justice” against senior figures in Russia’s military in Moscow, leading thousands of Wagner mercenaries towards the capital. The group had earlier seized the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, a key military and logistics hub for the Russian army. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the move an armed rebellion and threatened retribution.
The march was eventually called off after a settlement between the two sides. Wagner troops pulled out of Rostov-on-Don and the Kremlin said criminal charges against Prigozhin would be dropped, with the Wagner leader agreeing to relocate his private army to Belarus.
Yevgeny Prigozhin is the founder of the Wagner Group (Image: AP)
Liz Truss, his predecessor as PM, said: “It’s clear that Putin has been significantly weakened in Russia.
“We must not use this time to let up in our support for Ukraine.
“So, first of all, we need to make sure the Ukrainian membership of NATO is fast-tracked at the Vilnius Nato summit. Secondly, we need to make sure there is no talk of deals or concessions or lifting of sanctions on Russia in any circumstances until the war criminals are held to account.
“Finally, we and our allies, including the Ukrainians, including the Poles, including the Baltic states, need to make sure that we have a plan in the case of the implosion of Russia.”
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Putin could launch ‘Stalin-style’ purge to cling onto power after coup attempt [ANALYSIS] 
Wagner’s head Yevgeny Prigozhin leaves Southern Military District in Rostov (Image: GETTY)
In an 11-minute audio statement released today, Prigozhin denied trying to attack the Russian state and said he acted in response to an attack on his force that killed some 30 of his fighters.
In a recording which gave no details about where he is or what his future plans are, the 62-year-old said: “We started our march because of an injustice.”
The Kremlin has said it had made a deal for Prigozhin to move to Belarus and receive amnesty, along with his soldiers.
There was no confirmation of his whereabouts today, although a popular Russian news channel on Telegram claimed he was seen at a hotel in the Belarusian capital, Minsk.
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