The Wagner Group's relocation to Belarus has heightened anxieties regarding the vulnerability of key NATO installations near Poland and Lithuania, according to insights from a former Russian military official. Andrey Kartapolov, a Russian politician and former colonel, reportedly stated on Russian state television that the Wagner Group could launch an attack on the border areas of Poland and Lithuania within "mere hours" from their new base in Belarus, as reported by the Sun.

The mercenary group's presence in Belarus follows an alleged unsuccessful rebellion led by Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin last month. The agreement reached with the Kremlin to quell the uprising included Prigozhin's exile to Belarus, where Wagner fighters have started to congregate and reportedly assist in training Belarusian forces.

Belarus, a staunch ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Ukraine conflict, occupies a strategically significant position in Europe, sharing borders with NATO members Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia, as well as Ukraine. This border encompasses the strategically vital Suwalki Corridor, a 60-mile stretch of land along the Poland-Lithuania border, situated between Belarus and the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, which houses Russia's Baltic Fleet.

Kartapolov emphasized the importance of the Suwalki Corridor, stating, "Should any incident arise, we critically need this Suwalki Corridor. A strike force [based with Wagner forces in Belarus] is prepared to seize this corridor within hours."

Rebekah Koffler, an author and former DIA intelligence officer, suggested to Fox News Digital that the Wagner forces' movement to Belarus could be a component of Putin's strategy to establish a second front in the Ukraine war.

Koffler posited that the Wagner Group's repositioning was part of Putin's plan to initiate a second front in Belarus, which now possesses tactical nuclear weapons. She noted that under the pretext of the alleged Prigozhin coup, Putin strategically positioned Wagner, his most effective fighting force, within striking distance of both Kyiv and NATO's borders with Latvia and Lithuania.

While Koffler doesn't believe this signifies Putin's intent to attack NATO directly, she argues that it allows Putin to be prepared in case the Kremlin anticipates an escalation of the conflict by the U.S. and NATO.

Koffler cautioned that Russia might still opt for an initial strike from Belarus, contending that any actions by NATO perceived as escalatory by Putin could prompt him to take action. She emphasized that Putin would likely not wait for a U.S. first strike and would probably act if Russian intelligence assessed that U.S./NATO forces were on the verge of joining the conflict.