Russia’s Wagner group has started withdrawing its forces from the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut and transferring its positions there to regular Russian troops, its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a video published on Thursday. “We are withdrawing the units from Bakhmut. From today at five in the morning, May 25 …
Read More »Russia’s Wagner group head Prigozhin claims full control of Bakhmut
The head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, on Saturday claimed full control of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, the focus of the longest and bloodiest battle of the war. Reuters could not independently confirm the claim. Prigozhin made it in a video in which he appeared in combat …
Read More »Situation in Bakhmut ‘difficult’ as Kyiv shows no signs of retreating: Official
The situation for Russian forces trying to capture the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut is “difficult,” because there are no signs Kyiv is ready to order a withdrawal of its troops, the Russian-installed leader of Ukraine’s Donetsk region said on Thursday. Russian forces – led by the private Wagner militia – …
Read More »Russia close to encircling Ukraine’s Bakhmut after months of fighting
Russian artillery pounded the last routes out of Bakhmut on Friday, aiming to complete the encirclement of the besieged Ukrainian city and bring Moscow closer to its first major victory in half a year after the bloodiest battle of the war. The head of Russia’s Wagner private army said the …
Read More »Russian Wagner boss says Bakhmut practically surrounded
Russian troops and mercenaries were closing off the last access routes to the besieged Ukrainian city of Bakhmut on Friday, on the cusp of Moscow’s first major victory in half a year after the bloodiest fighting of the war. The head of Russia’s Wagner private army said the city, which …
Read More »US designates the Wagner Group as a ‘criminal organisation’
The United States has formally designated the Wagner Group as a “transnational criminal organisation”. The shadowy paramilitary group is closely aligned with the Kremlin and has been heavily involved in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The US Department of the Treasury said it had taken the move as part of action …
Read More »EU ready to support sanctions on Russian mercenaries: France FM
The European Union agreed on Monday to draft a framework for possible sanctions on Russian mercenaries who could be deployed to West Africa’s Sahel region, France’s foreign minister said. Reuters reported in September that Mali’s military junta was in discussions about deploying Russia’s Wagner Group in Mali, which France says …
Read More »France warns Russia against paramilitary involvement in Mali
France’s foreign minister has warned his Russian counterpart against involving paramilitaries from the controversial Wagner group in Mali’s conflict. “On Mali, the minister alerted his Russian counterpart to the serious consequences of the Wagner group’s involvement in this country,” the French foreign ministry said Friday. Jean-Yves Le Drian met Sergey …
Read More »German defense minister warns Mali over Russian mercenary deal
Germany warned Mali on Wednesday that a deal with Russian private security group Wagner would “call into question” its deployment in the West African country as part of United Nations and European Union missions. “If Mali’s government makes such a deal with Russia, then it goes against everything that Germany, …
Read More »Gaddafi’s son faces arrest over Russian mercenaries
Prosecutors in Libya have issued an arrest warrant for Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, over suspected ties to Russian mercenaries. A BBC World Service investigation has revealed links between the shadowy Wagner group’s activities in Libya and war crimes committed against Libyan citizens. …
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