A Belarusian soldier walks through a newly-built camp on a site previously used by the Belarusian army that could potentially accommodate up to 5,000 Wagner troops, on July 7, 2023. (Adam Berry/Getty Images)
The Wagner mercenary group is "likely moving towards a down-sizing and reconfiguration process, largely to save on staff salary expenses at a time of financial pressure, the U.K. Defense Ministry wrote on Aug. 13 in its daily intelligence update.
Since the abortive mutiny of June 2023, the Russian state has acted against some other business interests of Wagner owner Yevgeny Prigozhin, according to UK intelligence. There is "a realistic possibility" that the Kremlin no longer funds the group.
If the Russian state no longer pays Wagner, the second most plausible paymasters are the Belarusian authorities, but Wagner could be a significant and "potentially unwelcome" drain on Belarusian resources.
President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on July 25, citing intelligence reports, that Russian President Vladimir Putin is "preparing the conditions for expanding mobilization" as the toll of mounting Russian losses on the battlefield continues to surpass Russian recruitment efforts.
Russia once again bombarded Kyiv with ballistic missile attacks overnight on July 25, as President Volodymyr Zelensky warned of Russia's plan to launch a massive missile attack against the Ukrainian capital.
Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called for Russia's war against Ukraine to be frozen and urged a return to peace negotiations based on a revised version of the Istanbul talks.
Regional authorities reported that a mass Ukrainian drone attack damaged a residential building, a gas pipe, and unspecified "commercial property." While the facility was not identified, the report follows a string of Ukrainian strikes on logistics centers serving the Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries.
The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell and Olena Zashko embed with the 15th Brigade of Ukraine’s National Guard, also known as Kara Dag, part of the 1st Azov Corps, joining an FPV drone team living and fighting out of the city’s basements.
The cause of the fire remains unclear. Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry announced a drone threat over Saratov Oblast the night of the fire, and the air base has been targeted in several previous Ukrainian strikes.
Russia plans to launch a massive missile attack against Ukraine within 48 hours and is preparing for a "significant" wave of mobilization in the fall, President Volodymyr Zelensky said July 24.
Two air-dropped bombs were used in the morning attack, said regional governor Vadym Filashkin, repeating calls for the remaining residents of the city to evacuate to safer areas.
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