Wagner: He no longer works in Ukraine – what does the Pentagon say?

Wagner did not participate in military operations in Ukraine “at least in a noticeable way.”

The Pentagon announced Thursday that Wagner mercenaries are no longer participating in “any significant capacity” in combat operations in Ukraine, more than two weeks after the mercenary group’s failed insurgency against the Kremlin.

“At this point, we don’t see Wagner Forces engaged in any significant capacity to support combat operations in Ukraine,” Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder told a news conference.

Ryder said the United States estimated that the “majority” of Wagner fighters were still in parts of Russian-occupied Ukraine.

Wagner played a decisive fighting role in Ukraine, particularly in the devastating battle at Bakhmut.

What Putin said about Wagner

Putin, in an interview with the Russian newspaper Kommersant, was asked if the Wagner would be retained as a fighting unit.

Putin said: “Well, the Wagner PMC does not exist!” “We do not have a law on private military organizations! It does not exist! ” Putin explained that “there is no such legal entity.”

“The group exists, but it is not legal,” Putin repeated in the interview. “This is a separate issue related to the actual legislation. But this is an issue that needs to be discussed in the State Duma, in the government. It is not an easy question,” he said.