Skip to content
Edit post

Washington Post: Leaked war papers show Wagner Group sought to purchase arms from Turkey

by The Kyiv Independent news desk April 9, 2023 11:32 AM 2 min read
This audio is created with AI assistance

Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight.

Become a member Support us just once

The U.S. has reportedly gained access to the “internal plans” of the infamous Kremlin-backed Wagner Group mercenaries, which showed that the group “has sought to purchase arms from Turkey, a NATO ally,” the Washington Post reported on April 8, citing the classified war papers recently leaked online.

According to the report, some Wagner personnel “met with Turkish contacts to purchase weapons and equipment from Turkey for Wagner’s efforts in Mali and Ukraine” in early February.

The leaked documents also say that the Mali leader Assimi Goïta "had confirmed that Mali could acquire weapons from Turkey on Wagner’s behalf," the media reports.

However, according to the Washington Post, the leaked papers do not clarify what the Turkish government may have known about the efforts by Wagner or if they "proved fruitful."

“But the revelation that a NATO ally may have been assisting Russia in its war on Ukraine could prove explosive, particularly as Turkey has sought to block the addition of Sweden into the ranks of the trans-Atlantic military alliance,” the media reports.

The leaked papers also spotlight Warner’s campaign of hiring Russian prisoners to fight in Ukraine and state that the Russian military has become “dependent on the private soldiers,” according to the media.

The Pentagon has started an investigation after the New York Times reported that classified documents detailing U.S. and NATO plans for supplying arms to Ukraine for the upcoming counteroffensive were posted earlier this week on Twitter and Telegram.

Ukrainian military intelligence said that the classified war documents leaked online were forged by Russia.

Russia or pro-Russian elements are likely behind the leak, undisclosed U.S. officials also told Reuters on April 7.

The Wagner Group, Russia’s most high-profile mercenary group, was founded by Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Along with the Russian military, the group has taken part in the battles for Soledar and Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast.

The Wagner Group has been accused of human rights abuses, including torture and extrajudicial killings, in Ukraine, Syria, Libya, the Central African Republic, Sudan, and Mozambique.

Earlier in January, The U.S. Treasury Department designated the Wagner Group as a “significant transnational criminal organization” and imposed sanctions on its support network worldwide.

Estonian minister warns ‘false peace is prelude to new wars,’ backs NATO membership for Ukraine
Behind the curtains of Estonia’s substantial support for Ukraine lies the struggle of pushing allies to do more. In an exclusive interview with the Kyiv Independent, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu admitted that he is not satisfied with either the quantity or pace of the allies’…
Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight.
Freedom can be costly. Both Ukraine and its journalists are paying a high price for their independence. Support independent journalism in its darkest hour. Support us for as little as $1, and it only takes a minute.
visa masterCard americanExpress

News Feed

2:51 PM

Lavrov accuses Armenia of trying to ‘break off’ relations with Russia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused Armenia of “distorting history” in an attempt to “break off” relations with Moscow, he said in an interview on March 28. Armenia has further sought to distance itself from Russia - repeatedly accusing Moscow of being an unreliable partner.
Ukraine Daily
News from Ukraine in your inbox
Ukraine news
Please, enter correct email address
12:06 AM

Media: Rosatom's top manager arrested over suspicion of bribery.

The Basmanny court in Moscow arrested on March 28 Gennadiy Sakharov, Russian state nuclear energy company Rosatom's construction project director, due to the accusations of receiving a bribe in "a particularly large amount," Russian media outlet Kommersant reported.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.