The intelligence agency of the British Ministry of Defense stated that there is evidence that the “Wagner” group is moving to reduce the number of its personnel to reduce wage costs as a result of its financial crisis.
The source explained that since the coup attempt that took place last July, the Russian state has started targeting other commercial interests belonging to Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the group.
British military intelligence said that if the Russian state stopped paying Wagner, the Belarusian authorities would remain its potential financier.
She added that given the size of this group, its impact may be negative on the modest resources of Belarus.
An agreement brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko that ended the Wagner Group’s insurgency in Russia included Prigozhin going to Belarus, while his men were given the option to join him or integrate into Russia’s regular armed forces.
The group’s presence in Belarus is a cause for tension among NATO countries, especially with joint exercises near the Polish border.
In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin said members of the Wagner Group were entirely funded by the Russian state.
He added that Wagner received about 86 billion rubles ($1 billion) from May 2022 to May 2023 in salaries and bonuses, which came from the Ministry of Defense and the state budget.
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2023-08-13 06:25:11
