"Wagner Mercenaries' Arrival in Belarus Raises Concerns of NATO and Russian Politicians"

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, has stated that his troops will not be fighting in Ukraine due to the "disgraceful" state of the front line. Instead, they will focus on training Belarusian troops and preparing for future operations in Africa. Meanwhile, Russia has closed the humanitarian corridor in the Black Sea and declared ships bound for Ukrainian ports as potential carriers of military cargo, escalating tensions in the region. Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the BRICS summit in South Africa in person, citing the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, which issued an arrest warrant for him in March.