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Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of Russia's Belgorod region, claimed on June 9 that a drone crashed into an office building and caught fire in the city of Belgorod. Later the same day, Russia's Kursk region Governor Roman Starovoyt reported a drone crash near an oil depot in the regional capital.
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Ukrainian troops have advanced up to 1,200 meters in some areas in the Bakhmut direction, Serhii Cherevaty, the spokesperson for the eastern command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said on June 9.
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British Intelligence: Wagner loses troops as group's convicts to be pardoned, released

by The Kyiv Independent news desk March 21, 2023 11:41 AM 1 min read
This audio is created with AI assistance

Thousands of Russian convicts who were recruited by the Wagner mercenary group are likely to be released, the U.K. Defense Military reported in its March 21 update.

The convicts were recruited by the Russian-controlled private military contractor to join the war against Ukraine with the promise of being pardoned and released if they survived half a year on the front. Approximately half of the total convicts have been killed or wounded, the U.K. Defense Ministry writes.

However, the defense ministry believes that Wagner is following through on its promises to grant the survivors freedom.

According to the defense ministry, Wagner is "likely banned" by Russian authorities from taking on more prisoners in the future, after a recent public conflict between Wagner and Russia's Defense Ministry. The recruitment of prisoners reached its peak in the autumn of 2022.

With a large number of convicts reintegrating into Russian society, including those with a history of violent offenses, the U.K. Defense Ministry anticipates a "significant challenge" for Russian society in the future.

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