War in Ukraine: Wagner no longer participates “significantly” in the fighting

2023-07-14 09:26:40

Mercenaries from the Russian paramilitary group Wagner no longer participate “significantly” in combat operations in Ukraine, the Pentagon said on Thursday (July 13th), two weeks after the aborted mutiny by the group’s fighters. “At this stage, we do not see Wagner’s forces participating significantly in combat operations in Ukraine,” Pentagon spokesman General Pat Ryder told a news conference.

The United States believes that “the majority” of Wagner’s fighters are still in Ukrainian areas occupied by Russia, 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. On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed he had offered Wagner’s men to serve under someone else’s official command, but that Yevgeny Prigozhin refused the offer after his abortive mutiny.

Rumors of reshuffle within the military command

The mutiny ended on the evening of June 24, with an agreement providing for the departure to Belarus of Yevgueni 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. Evgueni Prigojine, had agreed to hand over to the Russian regular 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.