Wagner mercenaries are operating only in Belarus and Africa, and are not fighting alongside the Russian army in Ukraine, the Wagner Group claimed in a statement on Telegram on Aug. 26.
The statement, which was posted on a Wagner-affiliated Telegram channel, claimed that "there are no subordinates of the company either in Rosgvardia (Russia's National Guard), or in the ranks of the Russian Defense Ministry, or anywhere else."
Wagner fighters are not taking part in Russia's invasion of Ukraine "at this stage," the group said, claiming that "if the situation changes, it will be announced."
Wagner units were key to Russia's seizure of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast in May 2023. Estimates suggest that nearly 20,000 mercenaries, many of whom were former convicts recruited from Russian prisoners in late 2022, died in the battle for the city.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the then-leader of Wagner, died in a mysterious plane crash in Russia on Aug. 23, 2023. The crash came two months after Prigozhin led Wagner troops in a short-lived rebellion against the Kremlin.
Wagner units were then reportedly incorporated into official Russian military structures, such as Rosgvardia. The Chechen Akhmat unit claimed in October 2023 that a "massive" number of Wagner mercenaries had joined its ranks.
According to a U.K. Defense Ministry intelligence report on Aug. 23, just 5,000 Wagner troops are currently deployed in Africa and Belarus, a fraction compared to its peak of 50,000 in 2023.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry warned on Aug. 25 that Belarus is "concentrating a significant number" of weaponry and personnel at the border with Ukraine, including some former Wagner troops.
Minsk is Moscow's closest ally and hosts Russian troops and missiles, but is not currently directly involved in Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Chris York
(Updated: )
