Wagner Group contract soldiers come back to Ukraine's east

Former mercenaries of the Wagner Group who were in Belarus signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defence and moved to the eastern front in Ukraine. Some of them went to Africa, Illia Yevlash, spokesperson for the Eastern Grouping of Forces, said in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda.

"Former members of the Wagner private military company are now actually present on the territory of the Eastern Grouping of Forces. 

They are taking part in the fighting. In particular, they are coming from the territory of Belarus, where they had their camps. 

They are now being disbanded. These servicemen are sent to different units – some of them are sent to Africa, some re-sign contracts with the Russian Defence Ministry and participate [in the war] in various positions, including instructors. Some go to regular combat units.

They do not pose such a threat as they did, for example, a year ago, due to the loss of their main leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin," he said.

The Ukrainian Border Guard Service clarified that there were more than 6,000 Wagnerites in Belarus. 

An aerial reconnaissance operator of the Code 9.2 unit of the 92nd Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who goes by his call sign "Groove", told CNN that the Russian mercenary group Wagner, responsible for much of Russia’s gains during the winter, has returned to the area.

"Yes, Wagner is here too," he said. "They came back, they swiftly changed their commanders and returned here."

Groove believes that the group’s presence is in part intended to compensate for personnel shortages on the Russian side. “[Russia] gathered troops from surrounding areas and brought them here,” he says. “They don’t have much personnel left here.”