Wagner no longer ‘significantly’ involved in fighting in Ukraine, Pentagon says
“At this stage, we do not see Wagner’s forces participating significantly in combat operations in Ukraine”, Pentagon spokesman General Pat Ryder said at a press conference on Thursday. The United States believes that ” the majority “ Wagner fighters are still in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, he said.
In late June, the paramilitary group Wagner, which played a key role in Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine, sought to overthrow Russia’s military leadership in a flash revolt. Evguéni Prigojine, boss of the group, had assured that his uprising was not intended to overthrow power, but to save Wagner from a dismantling by the Russian general staff, which he accuses of incompetence in the conflict in Ukraine.
The mutiny ended on the evening of June 24, with an agreement providing for the departure for Belarus of Mr. Prigojine. Its fighters have been offered by Russian President Vladimir Putin to join regular troops, leave for Belarus or return to civilian life.
On Wednesday, the Russian army announced that it had received from the Wagner group more than 2,000 pieces of military equipment, 2,500 tons of ammunition and 20,000 small arms. Mr. Prigojine, had agreed to hand over to the regular Russian troops the armaments of his men after the abandonment of his rebellion.
Since the failure of this rebellion, rumors, unconfirmed in the context of the opacity of Russian power, also report reshuffles within the military command, in particular concerning General Sergei Surovikin, who has long been an ally of Wagner.