The number of Russian mercenaries – the Wagner Group – fighters in Ukraine has increased from 1,000 to almost 20,000, which indicates that Russia is increasingly relying on contract soldiers, writes the BBC.
Russia is struggling to recruit soldiers and maintain morale in the army. Despite the mobilization announced in September, Russia is suffering losses on the battlefield. Therefore, the Kremlin has turned to Wagner’s Group for help, and it is currently actively highlighting its role in the war.
The BBC asked for the opinion of British officials and they indicated that the military group now plays a more important role in the war than before, but in the battles, it faces the same difficulties and challenges as the Russian army.
Since the plans for the Russian invasion have gone awry, the presence of Wagner’s Group has become more visible. In March, there were only a little more than a thousand fighters of the group in Ukraine, but now their number has exceeded 20 thousand. The significant increase in the number of soldiers is due to the group’s recruitment in Russian prisons. Prisoners have been promised that they will be paid after six months of service at the frontline and their prison sentences will be canceled or revised.
Although Wagner’s Group insists on paying compensation to the families of the fallen, there are reports of relatives receiving nothing.
British experts say that the group has traded quality for quantity. At one time, Wagner’s Group brought together experienced ex-military personnel, including those who had served in the Russian intelligence service and the army’s special task force.
Unnecessary and absolutely unjustified violence is also considered a sign of the Wagner Group.
In recent months, Wagner’s Group has emerged as a key figure in the brutal attacks in Bahmut. The British intelligence report, however, suggests that the group’s tactics are very primitive and cruel. Poorly trained prisoners are given a specific task from which they cannot deviate. Anyone who disobeys the order or does otherwise can be punished by death. Prisoners are seen as a cheap and easily replaceable resource.
In September, a new headquarters of the Wagner Group was opened in St. Petersburg, and the group is actively spreading information about its activities in Ukraine. In the past, the leader of the group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has threatened journalists for defaming the mercenary group he leads, but now it seems that he is looking for opportunities to get into the spotlight.
Prigozhin’s money comes from about a 1 billion dollar contract with the state for catering services, and the funds are also believed to be derived from the activities of the Wagner Group in Africa. The group has been accused of serious human rights violations in the Central African Republic and Mali.
Prigozhin is believed to be using the opportunity to gain a particular reputation and cement his place in Putin’s inner circle. However, in reality, Wagner’s Group also lacks equipment and suffers heavy losses.
It is possible that individual soldiers are better equipped than the average soldier of the Russian army, but they are rather exceptions.
The line between the Russian army and Wagner’s Group is blurred. Kremlin officials, including Vladimir Putin, have not yet acknowledged the Wagner Group’s connection with the government, but it is clear that the group went to Ukraine with the Kremlin’s knowledge. The training base of the Wagner Group is also under the command of the Russian army.
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