Apparently, hundreds of former Wagner fighters have returned to Ukraine in recent weeks. This was reported by the British Ministry of Defense in its daily update on the Platform X.
The British stated that the fighters, who were previously associated with the private mercenary army, had begun to return to Ukraine as individuals or in small groups and would fight for various pro-Russian units. It is still unclear what the exact status of the soldiers will be in Ukraine, but it is believed that individuals have been transferred to parts of the Russian Defense Ministry’s official armed forces and to other departments.
Use especially around Bakhmut
According to several reports, many of the former Wagner soldiers have also been deployed around Bakhmut, and their experience is likely to make them highly sought after there as well. According to the British, many of them have already fought there on the current front line last winter and are therefore familiar with local Ukrainian tactics. The mercenary force withdrew from combat operations in Ukraine in June 2023 after a failed mutiny. The death of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin in August of this year also led to the mercenary force breaking up.
Image: Dpsu.gov.ua, Bakhmut during the battle (2023-04-05), frame 15989, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (image size modified)
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