Lithuania's defence chief says 'a new Prigozhin' will rise

Lithuania's defence minister said he's more concerned about Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine than the presumed death of Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin.

During a visit to Lithuania's border region with Belarus, local media outlets reported that Defence Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said on Friday, "All I can say is that every Prigozhin will be replaced by a new Prigozhin."

Lithuania has been keeping a close eye on the activities of the Wagner force stationed in neighbouring Belarus since Prigozhin's suspected death in a plane crash this week in Russia.

"We can already see the changes, we can see the splits, we can see the attempts to leave Belarus for Russia. All kinds of things are happening," Anusauskas said.

Anusauskas added that although the Wagner group is "dangerous," the security situation on the Lithuanian border is more closely linked to Russia's war in Ukraine.

Fellow NATO and EU members, Lithuania, Poland and Latvia all share borders with Belarus, which is closely allied with Russia.

Wagner troops set up camp in Belarus after a failed uprising against Moscow in June.