A fire broke out at the Wagner Group's former military base in Molkino in Russia's Krasnodar Krai on Sept. 21, Russian independent media outlet Meduza reported, citing Wagner-linked Telegram channel.
The Molkino camp hosted Wagner mercenaries for almost 10 years and was the group's main base in Russia. In the summer of 2023, the base was reportedly handed over to the African Corps, a unit consisting of former Wagner fighters subordinate to the Russian Defense Ministry.
The African Corps operates in Burkina Faso, Libya, Mali, the Central African Republic, and Niger, according to Meduza.
The Wagner Orchestra Telegram channel published on Sept. 21 videos allegedly showing the base's administrative buildings and the headquarters on fire. It is unclear what caused the fire.
The African Corps has not commented on the fire.
The Wagner Group played a pivotal role in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, leading Moscow's assault in the Battle of Bakhmut in the spring of 2023.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the then-leader of Wagner, died in a mysterious plane crash in Russia on Aug. 23, 2023. The crash came two months after Prigozhin led Wagner troops in a short-lived rebellion against the Kremlin.
Following Prigozhin's mutiny and death, the mercenary group withdrew from Ukraine and became fragmented, operating in Belarus and some African nations friendly to Russia.
Wagner units were reportedly incorporated into official Russian military structures, such as Rosgvardia. Since the death of Prigozhin, the Wagner Group's fighting force has significantly decreased, according to the U.K. Defense Ministry.
Ray Hartley
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