The head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, announced that the group is putting its fighter recruitment on hold and will concentrate on its activities in Africa and Belarus. In an audio message released via a Wagner-linked Telegram account, Prigozhin stated that the decision came after a period of intense work, and the group is currently planning its next objectives. Wagner fighters have been instrumental during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with thousands participating in a short-lived mutiny against Russia’s military leadership in June.
While the mercenary group is not actively recruiting new fighters, Prigozhin emphasized that they remain prepared to protect Russia’s interests whenever necessary. He acknowledged that some Wagner fighters had transitioned to other power structures of Russia after the failed mutiny, but there are no restrictions on their decisions. The group’s activities will continue in Africa, where it is known to be active in various regions, as well as at training centers in Belarus, where they assist in instructing territorial defense forces.
After the June mutiny, President Vladimir Putin invited Wagner fighters who didn’t participate in the uprising to sign contracts with the Russian defense ministry. Meanwhile, the situation between Russia and Ukraine remains tense, with recent incidents of missile strikes in Ukrainian cities and drone attacks in the Russian border region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the war is escalating, and attacks on Russian territory are part of the ongoing conflict between the two countries.
Source: BBC
