The Wagner Group's losses in Ukraine have been so great that some are now calling it a 'suicide squad.'
Yevgeny Prigozhin—known as"Putin's chef"—has claimed credit for Russia's battlefield victory in Soledar
The Wagner Group, which has been heavily involved in the current fighting in Ukraine and assisted the Russian military in the annexation of Crimea in 2014, now seems to be playing a less prominent role in operations around Bakhmut. Putin is gradually, favoring instead professional military personnel and government officials.
Joana de Deus Pereira, senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute , a British think tank, said that at the beginning of the war, a largely commercial relationship existed between the Kremlin and Wagner Group. The paramilitary outfit was initially seen as a"very useful tool" and as"an instrument of war," she said.
"He sees himself as a defense minister or someone with a high profile inside the Kremlin, at least visible and respectful enough to be rewarded for what he has been doing for the country." "Looking at symbology, everything that Prigozhin does has meaning. He had a package of salt and paid with salt someone inside a car. He was basically saying we not only control the mines but we also control the villagers and the citizens of Soledar," she said.
"He used Soledar as a decoy, it was a smaller price, and declared this massive victory understanding that Bakhmut probably will be and is beyond reach," he said.As the war drags on, and as the Wagner Group loses a significant number of fighters in the brutal battle for Bakhmut, reports and data indicate that Prigozhin is facing difficulties finding new recruits.
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