The mercenaries of the Wagner militia involved in Donbas since the beginning of the war have been talking about them in recent weeks. Since May 17, they have been waging a fierce battle in Bakhmut region. This Wednesday morning, their leader, Eugenie Prigogine, announced that he had conquered the neighboring town of Soledar. The information was denied by the Ukrainian army and the Kremlin.
Ever since the Wagner Group got involved in Ukraine, its organization and effectiveness have been questioned. Nevertheless, Keeper believes this morning, citing “Western intelligence officials“, that the militia represents a significant part of the Russian army. More accurate, “There is a realistic possibility that Wagner’s men now make up a quarter or more of the Russian fighters“, according to these sources.
Heavy staff but questionable efficiency
What might this proportion represent? Do Western officials estimate that Wagner represented a quarter of the troops involved at the start of the war? Or after the arrival of 300,000 mobilized people? The report obviously wouldn’t be the same, since Russia had deployed about 180,000 troops on February 24, and that its military now has between 350,000 and 400,000 men in Ukraine, depending on casualties.
By mid-December, the White House had already estimated Wagner’s manpower stationed in Ukraine at 50,000: 10,000 mercenaries and 40,000 recruited from Russian prisons. Despite their numbers, the advance of Prigogine’s henchmen is millimetric. One of the Western officials trusted Keeper thinks it shouldsometimes fortnightly to take home“.
Strengthened by his number and influence,It is clear to us that Wagner is well on its way to becoming a force to rival the Russian regular army“, the White House also assessed in mid-December. But according to John Kirby, spokesman for the US National Security Executive Council, the militias “ill-equipped and ill-prepared“, suffer”heavy losseson the battlefield.
Source: Le Figaro
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.