UK MoD claims Russian private military company 'Wagner' made tactical advances in Donbass

In its latest intelligence update about the prevailing situation in Eastern Europe, the United Kingdom's Defence Ministry claimed that Russia's private military company 'Wagner' has likely gained prominence in making tactical advances in the Donbass region amid the ongoing war. The ministry stated that the group has made its advances around the Vuhlehirska Power Plant and the nearby village of Novoluhanske. The intelligence update also claimed that the Ukrainian military has most likely withdrawn from the region. 

According to the UK Defence Ministry, Wagner has been often used by Russia as its preferred tool since 2014 as part of its extensive efforts to establish influence across Africa. The statement comes as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is currently on a visit to African countries like Ethiopia, Egypt, Uganda, and the Republic of the Congo. Further, the UK Defence Minister claimed that Russia would certainly make an effort to try to take advantage of the visits to blame the West for the global food crisis and garner support of African nations that have previously been unsupportive of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Russia thinks its engagements with Africa would help Moscow become 'Great Power': UK

In the intelligence report, the UK stated that Russia primarily engages with Africa because it thinks doing so would help it achieve its goal of becoming a "Great Power."  "Its secondary goals are probably to secure commodity concessions and to persuade African states to vote in line with Russia’s interests in international forums," the UK Defence Ministry noted. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov called for reforms in the UN Security Council in order to give more significant roles to developing nations, including African countries. 

What is Wagner Group?

It is pertinent to mention that the Wagner group is a Russian private military company that gained prominence during Russia's invasion of Crimea in 2014. According to reports, the said private military company has been involved in operations conducted in Syria and several other African countries. Wagner has also been accused by the US and human rights watchdogs of committing sustained civilian abuses. The company is allegedly linked to Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Kremlin-friendly oligarch, nevertheless, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his aides have often de-linked themselves from the group.

Image: AP