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.
Ukrainian forces launched a missile and drone attack on multiple Russian regions overnight on May 5, reportedly striking a critical Russian military-industrial site in Cheboksary, Chuvash Republic, Russian Telegram media channels reported.
The Special Tribunal plays an important role because no other court has a legal mandate to prosecute the international crime of starting a war of aggression.
The motion was initiated by the Social Democrats (PSD), who left the governing coalition last month, and by the far-right, Ukraine-skeptic Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR).
"Ukraine is a country that has played the role of a reliable food security guarantor for Egypt for many years — and we don't understand why Egyptian partners pay us back by continuing to accept stolen Ukrainian grain," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote.
"The practice of exploiting vulnerable people to prop up Russia’s failing and illegal war in Ukraine is barbaric," U.K. Sanctions Minister Stephen Doughty said.
Russia launched 11 Iskander ballistic missiles in the overnight attacks, as well as 164 Shaheds and Shahed-type drones in overnight attacks, Ukraine's Air Force reported.
Belarus continues expanding military-related infrastructure that could support Russian operations, even though Moscow does not currently have enough troops stationed there to launch a new offensive against Ukraine, Kyiv's State Border Guard Service said on May 4.
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on May 4 that Ukraine is proposing a ceasefire beginning at midnight on May 6, saying Kyiv is prepared to halt hostilities if Russia reciprocates.
Law enforcement officials conducted 44 searches across 16 regions of Ukraine as part of an investigation into current and former senior draft office employees.
Zelensky said earlier on May 4 that Ukraine had received no official ceasefire proposals, contrasting Russia's claimed truces with ongoing attacks on Ukrainian cities.
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