ISW: Kremlin trying to force some countries to halt cooperation with Wagner

The Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) may be using the Army-2023 Forum in Moscow to coerce countries into refusing to cooperate with the paramilitary group Wagner and to advertise the MoD-controlled private military companies (PMCs).

Thus, the Russian MoD is threatening to end military-technical support and support at the United Nations if countries continue to leverage existing ties with Wagner,  Caliber.Az reports, citing the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Wagner-affiliated sources claimed that the Russian Defence Ministry has already given Burkina Faso an ultimatum, threatening to cut off Russian support if Burkina Faso continues to use Wagner forces. These claims are unconfirmed and primarily come from Wagner-affiliated sources, but track with ISW’s previous assessments that the Kremlin seeks to destroy or restructure Wagner in favour of Russian MoD-controlled PMCs.

Key Takeaways:

• Ukrainian reports and video released by Ukrainian troops confirm that Ukrainian forces liberated Urozhaine, on the Donetsk-Zaporizhia Oblast border, on August 16.
• Russian forces conducted a series of drone strikes against Ukraine on the night of August 15 to 16, primarily targeting grain and port infrastructure in Odesa Oblast.
• Russian senators proposed an amendment to ban the distribution of photos and videos containing information about Russian military activities and locations on August 16, amplifying a recent trend of cracking down on public imagery of the war.
• Russian sources claimed that the Russian military command placed nominal Russian deputy theatre commander in Ukraine and notable Wagner-affiliated Army General Sergei Surovikin under house arrest as of early August.
• Russian forces conducted offensive operations along the Kupyansk-Svatove line, near Bakhmut, along the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line, in the Donetsk-Zaporizhia Oblast border area, and in western Zaporizhia Oblast and did not make any confirmed advances.