It seems they have once again emerged from the shadows – the Wagner mercenaries, or more precisely, what remains of them, as reported by the German news website Merkur.
Reports suggest that former supporters of mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin are currently found among the ranks of the regular troops of the Russian invasion army at the forefront in Avdiivka. This information comes from a Russian officer who shared it via the messaging service Telegram, as reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Wagner mercenaries mainly serve in the “Arbat” Battalion in Armenia, led by Hayk Gasparyan, known by his combat name “Abrek”. Reports also suggest that Gasparyan is a Wagner mercenary himself. This battalion, founded only this year, was announced on Facebook by those responsible, including the blessing of the battalion in an Armenian Apostolic Church in Moscow.
The mercenaries from this battalion are currently being used, for example, to reinforce the 22nd Special Brigade of the separate guard, a unit that carries out special operations in Vladimir Putin’s army. In April, the Washington Post reported that these units, including the 22nd Special Brigade, have lost up to 95 percent of their combat power in the course of the Ukraine war. According to ISW, the Wagner mercenaries in this unit serve as drone operators and for electronic warfare, but they also actively participate in combat. They evidently reinforce units on the fronts where they are needed in the course of the Ukraine conflict.
Image: Kremlin.ru, Putin and Shoigu (2022-08-15), CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (no changes made)
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