Yevgeny Prigozhin's son, Pavel, has taken over the Wagner Group's elite unit which is reportedly returning to participate in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to Telegram channels linked to the mercenary group.
The Wagner Group's fate in Ukraine has been unclear since Yevgeny Prigozhin was killed in an unexplained private jet crash on August 23. The group had led a months-long offensive in the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine under Yevgeny Prigozhin, but were withdrawn by Moscow after he led an uprising against the Kremlin's top brass on June 24.
After the mutiny attempt and Yevgeny Prigozhin's "March of Justice" on Moscow, some fighters were exiled to neighboring Belarus, while others were offered contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry.
Russian President Vladimir Putin himself was cited by Russian newspaper Kommersant as saying in July that the Wagner Group "does not exist" and that there is no law in Russia relating to private military companies. But questions were raised after the Kremlin announced last week that Putin met with Andrey Troshev, a former commander of the Wagner Group, to discuss the formation of "volunteer units" that can "perform various combat tasks" in Ukraine.
Russian news outlet MK.ru cited Telegram channels linked to the mercenary group as reporting on Monday that three Wagner assault troops who have not signed contracts with the defense ministry have already departed from Africa to participate in fighting in Ukraine.
One Telegram channel reported that before the New Year, the Wagner fighters could sign agreements that will allow the mercenary group to preserve its internal command structure, and that Pavel Prigozhin will command the group in Ukraine.
The publication cited military experts as saying that the first task of the assault groups arriving from Africa will be the capture of the Ukrainian-held eastern Donbas city of Avdiivka. The city is located about 56 miles south of Bakhmut and just north of Russian-occupied Donetsk.
Newsweek has contacted Russia's Defense Ministry for comment via email.
The Institute for the Study of War, a U.S.-based think tank, said on Sunday that the status of the Wagner Group remains unclear amid reported negotiations about the Wagner Group's future cooperation with the Kremlin.
"The Wagner Group's main combat elements are split across several countries, including Belarus, the Central African Republic, Libya, and Mali, and there is no clear unified leader for the Wagner Group," the think tank said.
Do you have a tip on a world news story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about the Russia-Ukraine war? Let us know via worldnews@newsweek.com.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Isabel van Brugen is a Newsweek Reporter based in Kuala Lumpur. Her focus is reporting on the Russia-Ukraine war. Isabel ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
