Wagner group returns to occupied Eastern Ukraine? Ukrainian Armed Forces response

"We confirm that Wagner mercenaries are present on the territory of the East military group. These are members of the Wagner PMC, who were on the territory of Belarus. Their camps are currently being disbanded there. There were about 8,000 of them there. Now, some of these fighters have gone to Africa, while others are renegotiating contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense and returning here to the East of Ukraine to participate in combat operations, both as instructors and military personnel," Yevlash told.

According to him, this concerns the remnants of this formation - approximately 500 individuals - whom the Russian command plans to involve in armed conflict on the side of Russia.

"However, they will not pose a significant threat like they did before because they don't have their leader, Prigozhin. These individuals are indeed among the most well-trained in the Russian army, but they will not become a game-changer," Yevlash concluded.

Background

Earlier, CNN reported, citing a Ukrainian serviceman, that Wagner mercenaries had allegedly returned to the area near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region.

"Yes, Wagner is here too. They came back," said an aerial reconnaissance operator from Unit Code 9.2 within the 92nd Brigade of the Armed Forces, with a call sign Groove.

According to the serviceman, they "swiftly changed commanders" and returned to combat.

The serviceman noted that he considers the Wagnerites appeared on the battlefield in this area to "compensate for personnel shortages on the Russian side."

The media pointed out that this is the first confirmation from Ukrainian military sources that Wagner units have returned to the Donetsk region. Previously, Russian propaganda Telegram channels had reported on this.

Wagnerites in the war against Ukraine

Fighters from the Wagner PMC played an active role on the Russian side in the intense battles for Bakhmut. At the end of May this year, their leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, claimed that the "city had completely come under Russian control," announcing the "withdrawal of his units from the city."

Later, Prigozhin decided to launch a campaign on Moscow with his mercenaries, but his coup attempt in Russia lasted no more than a day. After that, the Private Military Company agreed to relocate to the territory of Belarus by mutual agreement.

Then, on August 23rd, Prigozhin's plane crashed in Russia. Subsequently, Moscow officially announced that the leader of the group and everyone on the plane did not survive.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon reported that the militants were no longer a factor on the battlefield in Ukraine, and in the media, there was information that the recruitment of mercenaries had ceased after this.

However, a few days ago, Russian propaganda began spreading reports that mercenaries had supposedly returned to the occupied part of Ukraine.