Former commander of Polish special forces unit GROM, Alioth Foundation expert Col. Piotr Gąstał (Ret.) spoke on the SKANER Defence24 program about the dangers associated with the stay of the fighters from the Wagner Group in Belarus.

Michał Bryszewski asked about the implications of the presence of the fighters so close to the Polish border.

Piotr Gąstał: Well, I didn’t panic for sure. I absolutely do not think that this group is able to do anything on the Polish border (…). This is not the same Wagner Group as it used to be, this branch has changed, especially after Prigozhin’s rebellion, there are maybe 5,000 in Belarus. Members of the Wagner Group, so in my opinion these several thousand who are in Belarus do not pose a threat to Poland.

Michał Bryszewski also asked for the opinion of Piotr Gąstał on what kind of training can Belarusian soldiers receive from the Wagner Group fighters.

“Just surviving on the battlefield is already a valuable experience that they can share. This is very important, because training on the training ground is different, where blank ammunition is used, means of simulating the battlefield, it never reflects this real action and having such experience, these instructors from the Wagner Group can share it with the Belarusian forces … The question of how it will be used – whether to pacify its own citizens, or perhaps to scare further with this entrance from Belarusian or Russian territories to Ukraine – replies Col. Gąstał.

Continuing his statement in an interview about the threat to Poland of the entry of the fighters: Any military action by the Wagner Group [in Poland] – will allow us to activate Article 5 of NATO (…) I have the impression that this group Wagner is a greater threat to Lukashenka’s regime as it is not fully controlled by him. A well-known proverb from the Roman times that standing somewhere next to the military units without work poses a certain threat to the authority (…). Any provocation should be met with a strong response from NATO countries or Poland.

The full interview is available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxqrk81CxBY