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.
An oil terminal near the village of Volna in Russia's Krasnodar Krai was struck, sparking a blaze, killing three people and injuring eight others, Governor Veniamin Kondratyev and independent media reported late on Jan. 21.
Russia agrees to use its financial assets frozen in the U.S. to restore territories "damaged during military actions," Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on Jan. 21.
Eleven people were injured, and one was killed in an overnight attack in Russia's Republic of Adygea, while a separate drone strike sparked a fire at an oil refinery in neighboring Krasnodar Krai, local authorities and media reported Jan. 21.
"Focus on Ukraine should be our number one priority, and then we can discuss on all the issues, including Greenland," Rutte said. "But it should be Ukraine first, because it is crucial for our European and U.S. security."
The Kyiv Independent’s Tim Zadorozhnyy speaks with U.S. Representative Don Bacon (R) about U.S. President Donald Trump's approach to ending Russia's war against Ukraine, arguing that appeasing Russia would only invite further aggression and calling on tougher sanctions on Moscow.
"The Russians have invited us to come, and that's a significant statement from them," Witkoff said in an interview with Bloomberg TV in Davos on Jan. 21, amid a Washington-led push to broker peace between Kyiv and Moscow.
Greenland must start preparing for the possibility of a military invasion, even though the scenario remains unlikely, the island's prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said.
