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KOLPIN-OGRODNIKI, Poland, July 20 (Reuters) - People living near Poland's border with Belarus said on Thursday they could hear shooting and helicopters after Russia's Wagner Group arrived to train Belarusian special forces just a few miles from the frontier, compounding their fears the Ukraine war would reach them. Minsk posted pictures of masked Wagner instructors, their faces covered in accordance with the mercenary group's rules, training Belarusian soldiers with armoured vehicles and what appear to be drone controls. It is unclear how many fighters of the Russian mercenary group are currently training at the training ground of the 38th airborne assault brigade outside the city of Brest. In December last year, Russia and Belarus signed an agreement legalizing the permanent presence of Russian military formations on Belarus territory. Earlier this week, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed a law establishing combat centres for joint training for military personnel of both countries.

Persons: Russia's Wagner, Agata Moroz, He's, I'm, Moroz, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Adam Ligor, Anton Motolko, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Agnieszka Pikulicka, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Warsaw Pact, NATO, Reuters, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: OGRODNIKI, Poland, Poland's, Belarus, Belarusian, Ukraine, Kolpin, Russia, Africa, Minsk, Russian, Brest, Warsaw, U.S, Moscow

Summary Wagner to train near PolandPrigozhin greets mercenaries in BelarusUp to 10,000 Wagner fighters to be in Belarus - commanderSays 22,000 Wagner fighters perished in UkraineMOSCOW, July 20 (Reuters) - Mercenaries from Russia's Wagner Group will help train Belarusian special forces during exercises at a military range near the border with NATO-member Poland, the Belarusian defence ministry said on Thursday. "The armed forces of Belarus continue joint training with the fighters of the Wagner PMC (Private Military Company)," the Belarusian defence ministry said. Poland said earlier this month it would send 500 police to shore up security at its border with Belarus to cope with rising numbers of migrants crossing as well as any potential threats after Wagner mercenaries relocated to Belarus. MERCENARY PLANSA deal was struck on June 24 under which the mercenaries would move to Belarus in return for charges against them being dropped. The post contradicted remarks by a Russian lawmaker who said that as many as 33,000 Wagner fighters had signed contracts with the defence ministry.

Persons: Wagner, Poland Prigozhin, Russia's Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner's, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, Marx, Felix Light, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Russia's, NATO, Wagner PMC, Private Military Company, West, Kremlin, Wagner's Telegram, Reuters, Islamic, Central African, Thomson Locations: Poland, Belarus, Ukraine MOSCOW, Belarusian, Ukraine, Africa, Brest, Russian, Ukrainian, Russia, Crimea, Syria, Central African Republic, Mali, Bakhmut, Tbilisi, Moscow

☆ Prigozhin resurfaces in Belarus, tells Wagner fighters they have the 'biggest job in the world coming up'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin shared a video Wednesday that appears to show him in Belarus. In recent weeks, however, the Wagner boss had himself been spotted inside Russia. In recent years, Wagner mercenaries have deployed to Libya, Mali, and the Central African Republic, where they have been accused of terrorizing local populations as they combat insurgent groups. Prigozhin, in the video posted Wednesday, suggested Wagner's mission is far from over. "The biggest job in the world [is] coming up very soon," he continued, adding: "We'll definitely be traveling all over the world."

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, It's, it's, Alexandr Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Putin Organizations: Service, Kremlin, Central African, Wagner Locations: Belarus, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russia, Belarusian, Africa, Libya, Mali, Central African Republic

Summary Prigozhin welcomes mercenaries to BelarusPrigozhin says the front is 'a disgrace'Mercenaries should prepare for AfricaIt's only just begun, top Wagner commander says'Welcome to hell!' The footage, reposted by his press service on Telegram, is the first video evidence of Prigozhin's whereabouts since the night of the mutiny. In the video, the authenticity of which Reuters could not immediately verify, a man whose voice and Russian sounded like Prigozhin's, is heard welcoming his men. It is also unclear what Wagner, which Prigozhin said had 25,000 men, would do next. The video posted on Wednesday showed Prigozhin receiving a Wagner black flag, decorated with the motto "Blood, honour, Motherland, Courage", from their camp in southern Russia.

Persons: Belarus Prigozhin, Wagner, Utkin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner's, Vladimir Putin's, Prigozhin, honourably, Putin, Dmitry Utkin, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn, Jon Boyle Organizations: West, Kremlin, Reuters, Islamic, Central African, Putin, Staff, Thomson Locations: Belarus, Africa, MOSCOW, Ukraine, Russian, Belarusian, Russia, Rostov, Dagestan, Minsk, Syria, Libya, Mali, Crimea, Central African Republic, Ukrainian, Bakhmut

☆ Prigozhin calls Russia's war on Ukraine 'a disgrace' in another public affront despite Kremlin efforts to silence him
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Yevgeny Prigozhin is alive and well at a camp in Belarus with his exiled Wagner troops. In a new video, Prigozhin criticized Russia's war in Ukraine again, calling it "a disgrace." Prigozhin has repeatedly called out Russian military leadership — and lived to tell the tale. In a new video posted Wednesday, Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin once again criticized Russia's war in Ukraine, calling it "a disgrace." Wagner troops may return to Russia, but only when they "are confident that we will not be forced to shame ourselves," he assured.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, —, he's, Wagner's, hasn't, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, weren't, Alexandr Lukashenko, haven't Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, Kremlin Locations: Belarus, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Africa, Russia, Russian, Moscow, St . Petersburg

☆ The man Putin wants to take over Wagner was once admitted to the hospital blind drunk with $60,000 cash, military maps of Syria, and receipts for weapons: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Vladimir Putin wants to replace Yevgeny Prigozhin as head of Wagner, per The Telegraph. Troshev was once taken to the hospital blind drunk carrying cash, military maps, and receipts for weapons, it said. Troshev was admitted to the hospital blind drunk with some unusual items on him, per The Telegraph. Though Troshev had a placid call sign — "Grey Hair" — The Telegraph reported that he played a part in particularly brutal military operations. Troshev then worked for Omon, Russian riot police, which had the job of violently breaking up anti-government protests, The Telegraph reported.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Andrei Troshev —, Troshev, Putin, Andrei Troshev Organizations: Service, The Telegraph, Russian Federation, Islamic, Telegraph Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russian, Syria, Islamic State, Palmyra, St Petersburg, Soviet, Chechnya, Bakhmut, Ukraine

☆ Wagner's failed rebellion could hit the Kremlin's ambitions for a 'pro-Russian state' in Africa
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

BANGUI, Central African Republic - March 23, 2023: Demonstrators carry banners in Bangui, on March 22, 2023 during a march in support of Russia's presence in the Central African Republic. Hundreds of Wagner troops were spotted last week departing from Bangui, the capital of Central African Republic (CAR), where the Kremlin-linked group has its largest and broadest overseas presence. It comes just weeks after Wagner boss Prigozhin embarked on an ill-fated rebellion in Russia, ordering his troops fighting in Ukraine to march toward Moscow. Sky News reported Friday that the Wagner personnel who left CAR had refused to sign new these contracts. "Russian instructors will continue to aid soldiers in the Central African armed forces to ensure security in anticipation of the constitutional referendum scheduled for July 30."

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Alex Vines, Chris Weafer, Weafer, Chatham House's Vines, Faustin Organizations: Central African, Wagner, Central African Republic, Belorussian, Kremlin, Sky News, Officers, Union for International Security, Central, Africa, Chatham House, CNBC Locations: BANGUI, Central African Republic, Bangui, Moscow, Russia, Russia's, Ukraine, Africa, Central, Belarus, Russian, U.S, Chatham, CAR, Sudan, Libya, Mali, Mozambique, France

☆ Wagner troops arrive in Central African Republic ahead of referendum
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Judicael Yongo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The government had said previously that the troops' movement was part of a rotation of forces rather a withdrawal. "They are also here to secure the constitutional referendum," the spokesperson said, declining to say how many troops had arrived. A senior CAR military official in the capital told Reuters that hundreds of troops had arrived. CAR President Faustin-Archange Touadera, who was first elected in 2016, and won reelection in 2020, turned to Russia for help to tackle the rebel groups. He is on the campaign trail for the constitutional referendum which, if passed, could remove a two-term presidential limit and enable him run again.

Persons: wagner, Faustin, Russia's Wagner, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Albert Yaloke Mokpem, Francois Bozize, Touadera, Judicael Yongo, Bate Felix, Anait Miridzhanian, Alison Williams Organizations: Central, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Bangui, Central, Read, BANGUI, Central African Republic, Russia

☆ 'Chaos' is fueling fights among Putin's top commanders. These are the players battling for power.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

More than three weeks after the historic challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin's authority, there's still internal power plays and high-level purges in motion. "We are seeing a lot of military formations and military figures that are pushing for their own objectives." For example, in Kadyrov's case, he may be pushing for control to shield his fighters from the battlefield in Ukraine and send conventional Russian forces instead. Consequences for disobedienceInsubordination against Moscow's military leadership, such as Teplinsky's criticisms or the Wagner's rebellion, has undermined Russian military leaders but has also come with consequences for members of the anti-Gerasimov camp. The instability increasingly endemic to the Russian military comes as the Ukrainians try to break through their defensive lines.

Persons: Wagner Group's, Vladimir Putin's, Wagner, Putin, doesn't, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Alexander Ermochenko, he's, Stepanenko, Valery Gerasimov, Sergei Shoigu, Ramzan Kadyrov, Kadyrov, there's, Gerasimov, Vladimir Putin, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Alexei Nikolsky, Gen, Mikhail Teplinsky, Russia's, Teplinsky, Sergei Surovikin, There's, Friedemann Kohler, hasn't, Russia's Aerospace Forces Sergei Surovikin, Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, Staff Sergei Rudskoi, Mikhail Metzel, Ivan Popov, Vladimir Seliverstov, Popov, vilely, Viktor Zolotov, it's, ISW, Vyacheslav Gladkov Organizations: Service, Institute for, Wagner Group, Kremlin, Southern Military, REUTERS, Russian Ministry of Defense, Russian Armed Forces, Russian Defense, Russian, Staff, AP, Russia's VDV Airborne Forces, Getty, Russia's Aerospace Forces, Armed Forces, Sputnik, Arms Army, 106th Guards Airborne, Russian MoD, National Guard, Russian National Guard Service, PMC Wagner Group Locations: Russian, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Moscow, Prigozhin, Belarus, Rostov, Don, Russia's Belgorod, Sputnik, Washington, Chechnya, Sochi, REUTERS Maj, Belgorod

☆ Ukraine, Poland say Wagner fighters arrive in Belarus
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A fighter from Russian Wagner mercenary group conducts training for Belarusian soldiers on a range near the town of Osipovichi, Belarus July 14, 2023 in this still image taken from handout video. "Wagner is in Belarus," Andriy Demchenko, a spokesman for the Ukrainian border agency, said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app. Some Wagner fighters have been in Belarus since at least Tuesday, two sources close to the fighters told Reuters. The Belarusian defence ministry released a video on Friday, showing what it said were Wagner fighters instructing Belarusian soldiers at a military range near the town of Osipovichi. Poland's deputy minister coordinator of special services, Stanislaw Zaryn, said Warsaw also has confirmation of Wagner fighters' presence in Belarus.

Persons: Russian Wagner, Wagner, Andriy Demchenko, Wagner's, Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Stanislaw Zaryn, Zaryn, Alexander Lukashenko, Hajun, Lidia Kelly, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: Belarusian Defence Ministry, REUTERS, Fighters, Reuters, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Russian, Osipovichi, Belarus, Russia, Minsk, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Moscow, Rostov, Warsaw, Poland, Ukraine, Donetsk, Luhansk, Tsel, Melbourne, London

☆ Wagner mercenaries entering Belarus as Minsk announces 'road map' for joint military drills
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

A fighter from Russian Wagner mercenary group conducts training for Belarusian soldiers on a range near the town of Osipovichi, Belarus July 14, 2023 in this still image taken from handout video. Separately, a spokesperson for Ukraine's State Border Guard Service said Saturday that the force also had observed "some groups" of Wagner fighters crossing from Russia into Belarus. The Belarusian Defense Ministry said in an online statement late Friday that it had developed a "road map" with Wagner's management for joint training exercises drills by the nation's military personnel and the private mercenaries. Earlier Friday, the Defense Ministry said that Wagner fighters had begun training Belarusian soldiers. Prigozhin had accused the senior Russian military leadership for months of bungling the war in Ukraine and starving his troops of ammunition.

Persons: Russian Wagner, Wagner, Belaruski Hajun, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, couldn't, Andriy Demchenko, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Prigozhin, Putin, denigrate Prigozhin Organizations: country's Defense Ministry, Russian, The Associated Press, Lukashenko, AP, Ukraine's, for National Resistance, State Border Guard Service, Ukrainska Pravda, Belarusian Defense Ministry, Defense Ministry, General Staff, Russia's Kommersant Locations: Russian, Osipovichi, Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Minsk, Moscow, Rostov, Prigozhin

☆ A newly surfaced image of Prigozhin hints at where the Wagner boss may have finally ended up after his failed mutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But a new photo of the mercenary boss offers a hint that he may be at a military camp in Belarus. A Skyfi satellite image of the training base at Tsel outside Asipovichy in Belarus where Wagner forces are training Belarusian troops. But the new image of Prigozhin suggests that he may be at the same military camp where his Wagner mercenaries are training Belarusian soldiers. The windows in the photo appear to match those on tents at the military camp being used by Wagner and Belarusian soldiers. Although the rebellion left questions about where Wagner fighters would end up, US officials have since said that they aren't fighting in Ukraine anymore.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Jens Stoltenberg, Adam Berry, ALEXANDER NEMENOV, Belta, Wagner's, Alexander Lukashenko, — Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Prigozin, —, Prigozhin, It's Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, Belarussian, NATO, Belarusian Defence Ministry, Getty, PMC Wagner, Kremlin, Twitter, Ukrainian, Pentagon, Bakhmut, Russian Armed Forces Locations: Belarus, Minsk, Wall, Silicon, Belarusian, Moscow, Tsel, Asipovichy district, Asipovichy, Asipovichy District, Mogilev Region, AFP, Russian, St . Petersburg, Ukraine

☆ Biden makes poison quip about Wagner's Prigozhin
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsBiden makes poison quip about Wagner's PrigozhinPostedU.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday (July 13) said the United States was unsure where the mercenary chief was, but said "If I were he, I’d be careful what I ate. I’d be keeping my eye on my menu".

Persons: Biden, Prigozhin, Joe Biden, I’d Locations: United States

☆ Kremlin says Wagner's legal status needs reviewing
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 14 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Friday that the status of the private Wagner mercenary group needed to be "considered", a day after President Vladimir Putin said the group had no legal basis. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the status of companies such as Wagner was "rather complicated" and needed to be studied. Asked if new legislation was likely on the status of private military companies, he said: "This question will at least be under consideration." Under the terms of the agreement ending the June 23-24 mutiny, Prigozhin was meant to go into exile in Belarus, a close ally of Russia. Reporting by Reuters Writing by Mark Trevelyan Editing by Gareth JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Mark Trevelyan, Gareth Jones Organizations: Kommersant, Kremlin, Russia, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Belarus

* "Sedoi" is the nom de guerre of Andrei Troshev, a senior Wagner commander, according to European Union sanctions documents, French official documents, sources with knowledge of the matter and Russian media reports. * The EU described him as the "executive director (chief of staff) of the Wagner Group" in its 2021 document which also says he was a founding member of the group. "Andrei Troshev is directly involved in the military operations of the Wagner Group in Syria," the EU said. Britain also described him in its Syria sanctions documents as the chief executive of Wagner. Western sanctions documents list his date of birth as April 5, 1953.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Andrei Troshev, Wagner, France's, Dmitry Utkin, Troshev, Putin, Bashar al, of, Guy Faulconbridge, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Wagner Group, France's Treasury, Kommersant, Wagner, St, Red Star, Islamic State, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, EU, Syria, Deir, Britain, Leningrad, Soviet, St Petersburg, Afghanistan, Soviet Union, North Caucasus, SOBR, Russian, of Russia, Palmyra, Utkin

☆ One of Russia's most senior generals in Ukraine said he was fired for questioning the Kremlin's war management, and accused his bosses of backstabbing his men and 'decapitating' the army
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A top Russian general in Ukraine is accusing the Kremlin of "decapitating" the war effort. Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov said he was giving honest feedback to his bosses, and was immediately fired. In his voice note, Popov said he was faced with the choice of either telling his bosses what they wanted to hear or to "call a spade a spade." As of Wednesday evening, neither the Russian state media nor the Defense Ministry has commented on Popov's remarks, whether he has been fired, or on the circumstances of such a dismissal. Gurulyov, the state duma member who published Popov's voice note, confirmed to Russian state TV on Wednesday that Tsokov was killed.

Persons: Ivan Popov, Popov, Andrey Gurulev, Valery Gerasimov, vilely, Popov's, Oleg Tsokov, Tsokov, Sergei Surovikin, Wagner, Gerasimov, Surovikin, Andrei Kartapolov Organizations: Kremlin, Service, Defense, Arms Army, Telegram, duma, CNN, Defense Ministry, Russia's Defense Ministry, Reuters, Kyiv's, Russia's, Army, The New York Times, Times Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia, Russia, Balakliya, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Berdiansk

☆ Russia's military leaders are at each other's throats at a crucial time in the Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russian military leaders are at each other's throats amid continued losses in the Ukraine war. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has been accused of treason by a general in the Russian military claiming he was fired for raising concerns. But at this critical juncture in the war and while Russia's army continues facing losses, Russian military leaders appear to have more pressing targets in mind: each other. But even after Prigozhin all but disappeared following the Wagner revolt, concerns about Russia's military leadership persist. Popov claimed he was removed from his post after flagging issues that Russian forces were facing on the front lines in Ukraine.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Putin, Prigozhin, Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Ivan Popov, Popov, Andrey Gurulyov, vilely, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Andrei Kartapolov, Gerasimov, Gen, Viktor Afzalov Organizations: Defense, Service, Russian, Wagner, Bakhmut, Politico, Arms Army, Street Journal, Prigozhin, The New York Times, Times, Russian Aerospace Forces Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Russian, Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia, Syria

☆ Fact Check-Video of Russia's Prigozhin announcing Wagner's return to frontlines predates mutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The video resurfaced on July 11-12 (seen here) and (here) shortly after the Kremlin said (here) Prigozhin met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 29, five days post-mutiny. Posted to Twitter and Tiktok, the video shows Prigozhin addressing an unnamed party. It can be seen on Russian video hosting site Rutube (here) and on social network Vkontakte (vk.com/video-5158073_456277596). A news outlet based in Russia's Ulyanovsk region published a June 13 report using footage of Prigozhin (here) in the same room and wearing the same clothes. While Prigozhin is not heard talking specifically about Wagner’s plans in the video report, it does appear to be the same meeting.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Read Organizations: Twitter, PMC Wagner, Reuters Locations: Ukraine, Russia's Ulyanovsk, Ulyanovsk

☆ Video captures the disarming of Wagner in the aftermath of its mutiny, showing the Russian military now has its T-90 tanks and other heavy weapons
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russia's defense ministry said it has disarmed the Wagner Group, which launched a failed mutiny a few weeks ago. A video shared by Moscow shows a vast collection of weapons, tanks, artillery pieces, and more. Russia's defense ministry published a video to Telegram on Wednesday that shows a massive collection of military equipment Moscow claims to have received from Wagner Group units. Wheeled vehicles arrive on their own," Russia's defense ministry said. A Pentagon spokesperson told reporters in late June that the US had, at the time, observed "elements" of the Wagner Group in the Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine.

Persons: Wagner, Russia's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Stringer, Alexander Lukashenko, —, Vladimir Putin, Don, Putin, Jens Stoltenberg, meanwhile Organizations: Wagner Group, Service, Russian Armed Forces, Southern Military District, REUTERS, Kremlin, Belarusian, Don REUTERS, Pentagon, NATO, Wagner Locations: Moscow, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Ukraine, Rostov, Don, Prigozhin, Belarus, Minsk, Russian

☆ Former US Army general says Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin likely isn't dead. If he were, Putin wouldn't be keeping it a secret.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A former US Army general told Insider that Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin likely is not dead or jailed. If he were, Russian President Vladimir Putin wouldn't be keeping it a secret, the retired general said. "We are getting bits and pieces from different people, not from Putin directly and not from Prigozhin directly." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters this week that Putin met face-to-face with Prigozhin and his commanders on June 29, five days after Wagner's rebellion. The retired US Army surmised that it is most likely the Kremlin is keeping Prigozhin, a billionaire businessman, around while it "dismantles" Prigozhin's vast empire.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin wouldn't, Kevin Ryan, he's, Ryan, Putin, Prigozhin, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov Organizations: US Army, Service, Group, United States Army, Russian Locations: Russian, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Prigozhin, Ukraine

☆ Panicked Russians withdrew 100 billion rubles from banks during the Wagner revolt, central bank says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russians withdrew over $1 billion worth of rubles from domestic banks during the Wagner revolt, its country's central bank said. Whereas 500 billion rubles moved out of banks throughout June, a fifth of that was pulled from June 23-25. Though the act ended after a day, the political uncertainty it set off prompted fearful Russians to withdraw $1.1 billion worth of rubles. According to the Russian central bank, that's the highest cash demanded since late 2022, when Russia introduced a military mobilization decree. Speaking on Thursday at a St. Petersburg conference, Bank of Russia Governor Elvira Nabiullina indicated no plans to step in and support the ruble's exchange rate.

Persons: Wagner, That's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Elvira Nabiullina Organizations: Service, Bank of Russia Locations: Wall, Silicon, Moscow, Russian, Russia, St, Petersburg

☆ A former Wagner fighter described Prigozhin as a 'cocky idiot' who pitted soldiers against each other for personal gain
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Some Wagner fighters have condemned Yevgeny Prigozhin for leading the armed revolt against Russia. One fighter, identified only as Roman, told the Moscow Times that Prigozhin is a "cocky idiot." He blamed the mercenary leader for pitting soldiers against each other for personal reasons. "My comrades and I fought for the country, not for some cocky idiot and his personal ambitions," Roman told the Moscow Times, referring to the infighting between Prigozhin and Russian military leaders that preceded the attempted rebellion. Another former Wagner fighter, identified only as Vlad, told the Moscow Times that he signed up for Wagner to "defend his country" and not "out of sympathy for Prigozhin."

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Roman, Vlad, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov Organizations: Russia, Moscow Times, Service, Wagner PMC, Prigozhin, Russian Defence, Russian, Staff Locations: Wall, Silicon, Moscow, Rostov, Belarus, Prigozhin, Bakhmut, Russian, Russia, Ukraine, St . Petersburg

☆ Ukraine's intelligence chief claimed Wagner's mutineers almost reached a Russian base holding Cold War-era nuclear bombs small enough to be carried in backpacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukraine's spy chief claimed the Wagner Group almost reached a Russian nuclear base in late June. Kyrylo Budanov told Reuters that the base, Voronezh-45, housed small nukes that fit in a backpack. While Reuters could only track the fighters until they were around 70 miles from the base, Budanov said they headed further in and wanted to seize the munitions inside. Russia does not say if Voronezh-45 houses nuclear weapons, but the base is believed by outside observers like the Russian Nuclear Forces Project to be one of the Kremlin's 12 main storage sites. It's also unlikely that troops from a private military company like Wagner would have possessed the knowledge to arm and deploy nuclear weapons on their own.

Persons: Ukraine's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Kyrylo Budanov, Wagner, Budanov, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, It's Organizations: Wagner Group, Reuters, Service, Kremlin, Pentagon, Washington Post, Russian Nuclear Forces Project, Soviet Union, Russia's Ministry of Defense Locations: Russian, Moscow, Voronezh, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Rostov, Russia, Soviet, Washington

☆ Exclusive: Wagner fighters neared Russian nuclear base during revolt
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +20 min

Reuters GraphicsOnce the Wagner fighters reach more rural regions, the surveillance trail goes cold – about 100 km from the nuclear base, Voronezh-45. But in an exclusive interview, Ukraine's head of military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, said that the Wagner fighters went far further. The only barrier between the Wagner fighters and nuclear weapons, Budanov said, were the doors to the nuclear storage facility. It is one of Russia's 12 "national-level storage facilities" for nuclear weapons, according to a report by U.N. scientists. Another female resident also said Wagner had widespread support in the town, and that many Wagner fighters are from Boguchar.

Persons: Wagner, Ukraine's, Kyrylo Budanov, Budanov, Alexander Lukashenko, Adam Hodge, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Matt Korda, Vladimir Putin's, Hans Kristensen, David Jonas, Amy Woolf, Jonas, Prigozhin, Dmitry Utkin, Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Shoigu, Oleksiy Danilov, Don, Anna Sandrakova, Maxim Yantsov, Mikhail Vedernikov, Talovaya, Alexei Yablokov, Kristensen, Alexsandr Lukashenko, Dmitry Peskov, Lukashenko, he's, Mari Saito, Tom Balmforth, John Shiffman, Phil Stewart, Polina, Maria Tsvetkova, Anton Zverev, Christian Lowe, David Gauthier, Stephen Grey, Reade Levinson, Eleanor Whalley, Milan Pavicic, Daria Shamonova, Janet McBride Organizations: Reuters, Kremlin, Belarusian, U.S, White, National Security, Nuclear, Federation of American, Federation of American Scientists, U.S . National Nuclear Security Administration, Library, Congress, Wagner, State, Staff, Russian, Defence Ministry, Defence Council, Main, Russian Defence, U.S . Congress, Telegram, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russian, Voronezh, United States, Ukraine, Russia, Rostov, Talovaya, Soviet, Washington, dabble, Syria, Libya, Mali, ., Pavlovsk, Elizavetovka, Vorontsovka, Buturlinovka, Talovaya district, Pskov, Soviet Union, Belarus, Minsk, he's, St Petersburg, Kyiv, London, New York, Paris, Villars, Istanbul, Gdansk

☆ Ukraine's counteroffensive is facing off against Wagner's successor group, Storm Z, on the outskirts of Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine's counteroffensive is running into Wagner's successor group, Storm Z, in Bakhmut. The group is mostly conscripts, reservists, and convicts, The Washington Post said. Storm Z, however, doesn't consist of mercenaries like Wagner, which defined itself with a culture of extreme violence. Ukraine has said that Storm Z shows extremely low combat capability, according to a press release translated by Pravada. Wagner troops declared victory in Bakhmut — a once-bustling city now a ghost town left in ruins — in May.

Persons: Storm Z, Wagner, Pravada, Bakhmut —, Yevgeny Prigozhin's Organizations: Washington Post, Service, Ukraine, Storm, Wagner Group, Main Intelligence, Ministry of Defense, Russian Locations: Bakhmut, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russian, —, Russia

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