Ukraine says Wagner soldiers return to eastern front

Ilya Yevlash, a spokesman for Ukraine's Eastern Group of Forces, said that about 500 Wagner troops had returned to Ukraine from Belarus and were being deployed to the front line. They had renegotiated their contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry.

Wagner soldiers deploy near the headquarters of Russia's Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don on June 24, 2023. (Photo: Reuters)

“This group of soldiers is among the most well-trained in the Russian army, but they will not be able to change the situation of the conflict,” RBC-Ukraine television quoted Mr. Yevlash as saying.

The information Mr. Yevlash gave was based on Ukrainian intelligence reports.

Russia has not commented on the above information.

CNN also recently quoted a Ukrainian soldier saying that Wagner forces have returned to the battlefield in the East. Most of the Wagner forces that fought in Ukraine and participated in the mutiny in Russia in late June moved to Belarus in July under an agreement brokered by President Alexander Lukashenko.

The presence of Wagner forces in Belarus has worried neighboring Poland. In August, Polish authorities estimated that there were at least 4,000 Wagner soldiers in Belarus, while the Ukrainian Border Service put the number at 6,000.

According to Mr. Yevlash, the camps in Belarus are being dismantled, some Wagner fighters are being sent to Ukraine and some are being deployed to Africa.

Wagner private military forces helped Russia capture the strategic city of Bakhmut from Ukrainian forces in May. However, Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, launched a rebellion against the Russian army in mid-June. The rebellion was crushed within 24 hours, after which Wagner soldiers were transferred to Belarus.

Mr. Prigozhin died in a plane crash last August.

Hoang Pham (Source: VOV.VN)

Source: https://vtc.vn/ukraine-noi-linh-wagner-tro-lai-mat-tran-mien-dong-ar823378.html