Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko claims Wagner’s “core” will remain in Belarus despite observations suggesting that the mercenary group is leaving after the death of its founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin. Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania threaten to completely shut their borders with Belarus should a “critical incident” involving the Wagner Group occur. Meanwhile, Minsk announces that it will host the Collective Security Treaty Organization’s Combat Brotherhood 2023 joint strategic military exercise from Sept. 1-6.