The Wagner Group is not taking part in hostilities on the territory of Ukraine, the Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder said on July 14, as cited by the Voice of America.
"At this stage, we do not see Wagner forces taking any significant role in supporting combat operations in Ukraine," Ryder commented.
The Pentagon spokesperson also said that the Ukrainian military already received cluster munitions from the U.S. but did not specify whether it has been deployed in battle yet.
The Wagner Group's founder Yevgeny Prigozhin launched a short-lived rebellion on June 23-24 against the Russian government. The insurrectionists took the city of Rostov and marched against Moscow only to end the uprising abruptly less than 24 hours after its start.
As a result of an undisclosed agreement allegedly mediated by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin and his contractors were allowed to leave for Belarus to avoid persecution. The Belarusian dictator however said on July 10 that Prigozhin is back in Russia after a brief stay in Belarus.
While the fate of the Wagner Group in Russia remains uncertain, its recruitment centers reportedly suspended operations and Russia's Defense Ministry said that Wagner units are handing over their equipment to the military.
Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov commented that following the rebellion, Wagner contractors will no longer take part in hostilities against Ukraine, even though some remain stationed in the occupied territories.
Oleg Sukhov
(Updated: )
