Ukraine killed 21,000 Wagner mercenaries, claims President Zelenskky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday at least 21,000 fighters of the Wagner Group had been killed by his forces. His statement came a week after Russian President Vladimir Putin faced a rebellion by Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. Zelenskky claimed the private mercenary group suffered "enormous losses" in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis, particularly in eastern Ukraine, where Wagner's powerful forces were fighting.
Why does this story matter?
On June 24, the Wagner Group rebelled against Russia's military leadership, with its chief, Prigozhin, accusing the Kremlin of carrying out missile assaults against his soldiers. After their mutiny failed, the fighters and Prigozhin were given exile in Belarus. Wagner is a private mercenary force that is said to have played a crucial role in Russia's capture of Bakhmut in Ukraine.
Wagner Group's losses in Ukraine enormous: Zelenskyy
At a news conference in Kyiv on Saturday, Zelenskyy claimed, "Our troops killed 21,000 Wagnerites in eastern Ukraine alone." At least 80,000 Wagner fighters were also injured in the conflict, according to the Ukrainian president, who described the group's losses as "enormous." He claimed Wagner fighters were "motivated staff of the Russian army" made up largely of prisoners who "had nothing to lose."
Zelenskyy makes big claims during Spanish PM's Ukraine visit
Zelenskyy's big claims regarding Wagner Group came during a news conference with Spanish media to coincide with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's visit to Kyiv. Sanchez is on his third trip to Ukraine at a time when Spain assumes the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union. This also followed reports that Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William Burns recently visited Kyiv.
Ukraine beefs up security on Belarus border against Wagner mercenaries
Earlier on Friday, Ukraine reportedly beefed up security at its border with Belarus to prevent any untoward incident after Russia's mercenary Wagner Group's forces arrived there. The decision came after receiving information about the situation from various intelligence agencies and border guards. Wagner mercenaries went into exile in Belarus after a failed coup attempt against Russian military leadership last week.
Wagner Group signs agreement with Russian President Putin
Moreover, Russian President Putin, in a televised address to the nation late on Monday, said that he would honor his promise to allow Wagner fighters to either relocate to Belarus if they wanted, sign a contract with the Defence Ministry, or simply return to their families. He then also thanked the Wagner mercenary fighters and commanders who had stood down to avoid bloodshed.
