According to Great Britain, Russian mercenaries from the so-called Wagner Group are fighting in Ukraine in close cooperation with regular Russian units. The Ministry of Defense in London said on Friday, citing intelligence information, that the fighters were probably given responsibility for their own front sections, as they would otherwise be taken on by normal army units.
“This represents a significant change from previous operations by the group since 2015, where it typically conducted missions distinct from overt, large-scale regular Russian military activities,” it said. This integration undermines years of Russian government claims that there are no links between the state and private mercenary groups. There had already been officially unconfirmed reports that the Wagner Group was involved with the Russian government around Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin. She is said to have fought in Syria, the Central African Republic and earlier in Ukraine.
The role has probably changed because the Russian armed forces were trying to compensate for a glaring lack of infantry units, according to the Ministry of Defense in London. However, it was “highly unlikely” that Wagner’s forces would be sufficient to change the course of the war significantly, it said in London.
Image: Russian Ministry of Defense via AP