The Wagner Alliance is Falling Apart, High-Ranking Officers are Defecting.
A year after the demise of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, the organization has reportedly been splitting apart, as per the British Ministry of Defence. Following a plane crash, several influential figures have departed the group, according to the ministry's statements made on the X platform.
Compared to its peak employment of 50,000 individuals in 2023, Wagner is now believed to have around 5,000 employees in its ongoing operations in Belarus and Africa, as stated by the ministry in London. Numerous ex-Wagner fighters have joined the Russian military or defense ministry-controlled paramilitary units, according to military specialists' analyses.
Exactly a year ago, on August 23, 2023, Prigozhin's private jet met with an unfortunate accident. After provoking a brief rebellion against Russia's military leadership two months prior, Prigozhin and his cohort tragically perished in the crash, along with other passengers – including Wagner's founder, Dmitry Utkin.
Wagner gained significant international notoriety for its involvement in Russia's conflict against Ukraine, as well as carrying out tasks in African countries. In the aftermath of the failed uprising, Prigozhin and his associates initially relocated to Belarus to reorganize.
Additional Wagner members also parted ways with the group. As reported by the British Ministry of Defence, Wagner's former leader, Andrei Troshev, moved on to join the Russian defense ministry – where he plays an essential role in forming volunteer units for combat in Ukraine, as documented by the Brits.
The British Ministry of Defence has consistently shared updates about the war's progress since the initiation of Russia's conflict against Ukraine over two years ago. Moscow retaliates by accusing London of spreading disinformation.
The British Ministry of Defence has suggested that The Commission, a suspected high-level body within Wagner, might be dissolving due to the group's internal turmoil and loss of key personnel. Several high-ranking members, including Andrei Troshev, have left Wagner to join the Russian defense ministry's volunteer units for combat in Ukraine.
