Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, told Ukrainska Pravda on June 29 that Russia’s Wagner mercenary group will no longer play an active role in the war against Ukraine.
“Wagner will no longer take part in hostilities on the territory of Ukraine. And this is the most effective unit of the Russian Federation that knew how to achieve success at any cost,” Budanov said.
According to Budanov, some Wagner mercenaries are still in southern Ukraine as well as at a military base in occupied Luhansk that has been in place since 2014. However, the remaining Wagner mercenaries are not actively fighting alongside the regular Russian military.
Wagner mercenaries served as the primary shock troops in Russia’s efforts to take the once-prosperous industrial city of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast. The battle dragged on for 10 months, with Wagner Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin claiming in late May that they had captured the city.
However, since Ukraine launched its counteroffensive, Ukrainian forces have been reported to be making gains around Bakhmut.
In early June, the Russian Defense Ministry issued a decree set to force Wagner mercenaries under its wing.
This led to an armed “rebellion,” with Prigozhin and his forces stopping short of Moscow before agreeing to relocate to Belarus in a deal apparently brokered by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko.
Budanov told Ukrainska Pravda that Wagner’s “rebellion” effectively destroyed the “myth of the unwavering Russian regime.”
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Defense Ministry says Ukrainian forces making gains in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia oblasts
Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said on June 29 that Ukrainian forces were making gains in Donetsk and Zaporizhzia oblasts as part of the ongoing counteroffensive.
According to Maliar, Ukrainian forces have advanced 1,200-1,500 meters in the directions of Klishchiivka and Kurdiumivka south of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast.
Fighting is ongoing around the outskirts of Bakhmut and Ukrainian forces are outmaneuvering Russian forces, Maliar added.
“The enemy is trying to hold occupied positions, carries out counterattacks, but gradually retreats after suffering losses,” Maliar said.
On the southern front line, Ukrainian soldiers have managed to strengthen their positions near recently-liberated Rivnopil and inflict “serious losses” on Russian forces, according to Maliar.
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Source:kyivindependent.com/