The White House on Thursday issued a serious warning against the rise of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, according to it “rival” of the Russian regular army in Ukraine, and which now receives armament from North Korea. “North Korea made a first delivery to Wagner, who paid for this equipment. Last month, (it) delivered shells and missiles to Russia intended for Wagner,” said John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council of the United States Executive.
The United States believes that Pyongyang “is considering delivering more equipment”, he said in an interview with reporters. The spokesman also estimated that at present, Wagner had 50,000 troops deployed in Ukraine, including 10,000 mercenaries and 40,000 recruited from Russian prisons. Washington, which has already taken sanctions against this organization of mercenaries present in several theaters of conflict in the world, will take additional measures “in the coming weeks”, indicated John Kirby.
“Russian officers are actually subject to Wagner’s orders”
“It is obvious to us that Wagner is on the way to becoming a rival power to the regular Russian army and other Russian ministries,” the spokesman said, assuring that the group’s leader’s influence in the Kremlin , Yevgeny Prigojine, was “increasing”.
“For months, the Russian army has relied on Wagner to lead the fight in certain areas of Donbass (eastern Ukraine) and in some cases, Russian officers are actually subject to Wagner’s orders”, detailed John Kirby . He assured that Wagner’s forces “poorly equipped and badly trained”, suffered “heavy losses” on the battlefield.
Evguéni Prigojine, who has “no consideration for human life”, “sends Russian men to the butchery in Bakhmout”, a town on the front where fighting is raging, said John Kirby. “He seems to be much more interested in his influence in the Kremlin than in the men he recruits to fight in Ukraine. All that matters to him is to look good to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin,” said- he still asserted.