Most popular
watch us on facebook
Wagner Group

Ukraine war latest: Russian military begins to replace Wagner forces in Bakhmut
Key Developments on May 25: * Prigozhin claims Wagner forces begin to withdraw from Bakhmut * Ukraine’s Defense Ministry says Russian military replacing Wagner units near Bakhmut * 106 Bakhmut defenders released from Russian captivity * Moscow and Minsk sign agreement to place nuclear weapons in Belarus * EU has frozen 200 billion euros

Russia takes Bakhmut: Taking stock of the war’s bloodiest battle so far
CHASIV YAR, Donetsk Oblast – Ten months after Russia's assault on the once-flourishing city in Donetsk Oblast began, Bakhmut has now been effectively occupied by Russian troops. This hasn’t been confirmed yet by Kyiv, but is evident based on both official statements and those made by soldiers on the ground

Ukraine strikes back around Bakhmut as Wagner reaches last streets in the city
On the evening of May 9, just half a day after a single T-34 tank rolled through Red Square during Moscow’s subdued Victory Day celebrations, something unexpected happened. Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, announced that units of the Russian regular army’s 72nd Separate Motorized

This Week in Ukraine Ep. 7 – Why Russia relies on private militaries, like Wagner, for its war effort
“This Week in Ukraine” is a video podcast hosted by Kyiv Independent’s reporter Anastasiia Lapatina. Every week, Anastasiia sits down with her newsroom colleagues to discuss Ukraine’s most pressing issues. Episode #7 is dedicated to Russian private military companies, how they operate, and the role they play in

Wagner a ‘shadow of what it once was’: Russia security expert on the rage of mercenary boss Prigozhin
After seeming to have calmed down over early spring, the internal conflict between Wagner mercenary group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Russian Defense Ministry has escalated dramatically. In the early morning of May 5, Prigozhin recorded a video in front of what he claimed to be the bodies of dozens

Army of hired guns: How Russia’s 'PMCs' are becoming the main invasion force
Private armies are illegal in Russia, so naturally, Moscow has been using them for decades. Now, it’s making them the main invasion force. The rate at which Russia creates new private military company-like units sped up after 2014 but it really took off during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine,

Flanks around Bakhmut hold as brutal urban fighting continues for city blocks
Two months after Ukraine’s defense of Bakhmut seemed doomed, the bloodiest battle of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine is still going against all expectations. Making rapid advances at the end of February, Russian forces seemed to be on the cusp of surrounding the city, as the only roads

‘They crawl forward 24/7:’ On the zero line with Ukrainian infantry north of Bakhmut
DONETSK OBLAST – Climbing to a firing position through trenches dug into black Ukrainian soil, the relative quiet in the air is only reassuring to an extent. At the most forward point, a Soviet-era recoilless rifle stands watch, dug into a shallow depression in the ground. Bohdan, a company commander of

Ukraine war latest: Wagner admits Ukrainian forces not retreating from Bakhmut; Macron calls on Xi to 'bring Russia to senses'
Key developments on April 6: * Russia’s Wagner Group admits Ukrainian strongholds remain in Bakhmut * Lithuania to send $44 million worth of military aid to Ukraine * Ukraine, Poland to co-produce 125 mm tank shells * Reuters: China ready to work with France on Ukraine peace * EU chief says China’s Xi

Ukraine war latest: Kyiv denies Wagner’s claim of seizing Bakhmut city hall
Key developments on April 3: * Ukraine denies Russian claims about seizing Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast * Poland delivers first MiG-29 jets to Ukraine * Zelensky on upcoming counteroffensive: Russians “still have time to leave — otherwise, we will destroy them” * Zelensky, European officials meet with Russian occupation survivors in Chernihiv Oblast * General Staff:

Season of offensives: What to expect from the spring campaign in Ukraine
On the battlefields of eastern Ukraine, with the first days of March came the all-consuming mud. Videos of trucks and armored vehicles bogged down in fields heralded the arrival of a time traditionally known in Ukrainian as bezdorizhzhia, or “roadlessness.” Though the mud may present a brief challenge to both

Russia’s key attack force, Wagner Group, embroiled in conflict with regular army
The battle for Bakhmut has revealed a decade-long covert conflict in Russia's Armed Forces. On one side, there is the regular Russian military. On the other side, Wagner Group, Russia's most high-profile mercenary outfit. Wagner was founded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a confidante of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russian generals have

EXCLUSIVE: Inside Ukraine’s covert operation to take out elite Wagner Group mercenaries in Donbas
Editor’s Note: The names of the people interviewed by the Kyiv Independent have been changed in this story to protect their identity as they have shared sensitive information that could place them and their families in danger. Not all of Ukraine’s attacks on Russian positions end up circulating

Journalist: EU imposes sanctions on Kremlin's mercenary Wagner Group that fought in Donbas
The ambassadors of European Union countries on Dec. 8 adopted sanctions against the Wagner Group, a Kremlin-backed military contractor, Rikard Jozwiak, an editor at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, wrote on Twitter. The sanctions apply to individuals who have fought in Ukraine, Syria, and Libya. Wagner mercenaries have been used
Editors' Picks

War from above: A day with drone unit defending Ukraine's south

‘I work, then I cry’: Exhausted medics near Bakhmut fight for every life

Ukraine war latest: Japanese PM visits Kyiv; US to speed up Patriot, Abrams delivery

Ukraine war latest: Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Mariinka under heavy fire

Belarus Weekly: European Parliament resolution urges more sanctions against Belarus

Ukrainian State-Owned Enterprises Weekly – Issue 80
