Wagner boss Prigozhin killed
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Vladimir Putin has ordered Wagner mercenaries to sign an oath of allegiance to the Russian state after a plane believed to be carrying their leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, crashed near Moscow.
Effective immediately, the Russian president on Friday signed the decree, published on the Kremlin’s website, requiring anyone working in Ukraine on behalf of the military or the Moscow War to swear a formal oath of allegiance to Russia.
The oath includes a line in which those who take it promise to strictly obey the orders of commanders and higher-ups.
This comes after the Kremlin insisted that claims Prigozhin was killed on his orders were an “absolute lie”, while Mr Putin praised the mercenary boss as a “talented businessman” who had made some “grave mistakes”. .
Meanwhile, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko claims he warned Prigozhin to beware of dangers to his life during his troops’ mutinous march on Moscow in June, to which Prigozhin replied: “The hell with that – I’m going to die.”
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What is the Wagner mercenary group led by Yevgeny Prigozhin?
Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine have been joined on the battlefield by tens of thousands of mercenaries from a shady group led by a businessman and longtime ally of President Vladimir Putin.
The Wagner Group is a private military company that was under the control of Yevgeny Prigozhin until his reported death in a plane crash on Wednesday, August 23.
The unit made a name for itself with operations in Crimea – which Russia illegally annexed in 2014 – and eastern Ukraine’s Donbass region, and has since deployed troops to several conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, including Syria civil war.
Wagner was a key part of Moscow’s military force during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but a power struggle between the Kremlin and the outspoken Prigozhin threatened — at least for 24 hours — to drag Russia into a civil war of its own.
My colleagues Liam James And Joe Sommerlad For more information, see this report:
Andy Gregory27. Aug 2023 01:28
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Putin’s Hit List: From poisoned tea to mysterious falls, the grisly fate of Kremlin enemies
Yevgeny Prigozhin’s punishment apparently came relatively quickly, as is usually the case when politicians, journalists or former secret agents uncover inconvenient truths, he writes John Kampfnerthe manager of Chatham House.
“The methods are varied: poisoning, gunshots, plane crashes and, the simplest of all, the mysterious fall out of a window. Sometimes they are done discreetly, but more often they are done openly to signal the dangers of defiance.
“To be fair, targeted killings began before Putin came to power in 2000. In the 1990s, incidents like this were often sponsored by the Chechen leadership. Or it was criminal gangs (and their political masters) who settled their scores. What Putin did was turn state killings to industrial proportions.”
You can read more about Putin’s hit list in this lengthy read:
Putin’s hit list: A look inside the Kremlin’s killing machine
The methods are varied: poisoning, gunshots, plane crashes and, the simplest of all, the mysterious fall out of a window. John Kampfner on how Putin took state killings of his enemies and political opponents to industrial scale
Andy Gregory27. Aug 2023 00:31
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Shown: Ukrainian troops evacuate civilians from Robotyne as troops take root
Ukrainian troops evacuate civilians from Robotyne as troops take root
Andy Gregory26. Aug 2023 23:41
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Iran claims several European countries are interested in its Shahed attack drones
Iran’s Defense Ministry has claimed that several unnamed “Western and European countries” are interested in acquiring its Shahed attack drones and claimed the US wants to stop Tehran from selling them to Russia.
Russia began using Iran-made Shahed drones for strikes deep inside Ukraine last year. The so-called unmanned kamikaze drones do not need a runway to take off and explode on impact.
While Russia’s deputy foreign minister insisted that Moscow and Tehran “would not give in to the dictates of the United States and its satellites,” Iran’s defense ministry said, “None of the transactions (regarding drones) we’ve had … with other countries.” .” , like Russia, have been cancelled.”
A White House official said in June that Iran had transferred several hundred drones to Russia since last August.
Andy Gregory26. Aug 2023 22:54
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Military cooperation between Russia and Iran “will not be subject to US dictates,” says the Moscow minister
Russia’s military cooperation with Iran will not succumb to geopolitical pressure, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said following a report that Washington had asked Tehran to stop selling drones to Moscow.
“There are no changes and cooperation with Iran continues,” Mr Ryabkov was quoted as saying by Russia’s state news agency RIA. “We are independent states and are not subject to the dictates of the United States and its satellites.”
The Financial Times reported this month, citing an Iranian official and another person familiar with the talks, that the US is pressuring Iran to stop selling the so-called Kamikaze Shahed drones that Russia is using in the war in Ukraine.
Andy Gregory26. Aug 2023 22:09
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More Ukrainian gains were reported in the Zaporizhia region
According to analysts, Ukraine has made further progress near the Zaporizhia village of Robotyne, where Kiev’s troops have passed through Russia’s first line of defense.
The think tank Institute for the Study of War said geolocated combat footage released on Friday indicated Ukrainian forces had moved 1.5 kilometers south to a tree line northeast of Novopokropivka.
ISW Russia analyst George Barros said Ukrainian troops are “now geolocated to within 2.5 kilometers of the large anti-vehicle ditch — the next major military-technical obstacle within Russia’s layered defenses.”
Russia also appears to have made gains west of Robotyne
(Institute for War Research)
Andy Gregory26. Aug 2023 21:26
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Voices: If the Wagner mercenary boss is dead, he gets the death he deserves
Following news of the reported death of Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, the international editor of the Independent Chris Stevenson shared his thoughts on the Mercenary Chieftain.
He argues that readers shouldn’t let Prigozhin’s mutiny against Putin cloud their thinking about a man who was nothing more than a monster.
He writes: “It is not surprising that the Russian authorities pronounced Yevgeny Prigozhin dead. Given the attempted mutiny he led with the Wagner mercenary group against Moscow, it was thought that he might not live in this world much longer. When it comes to the iron grip that President Vladimir Putin has on his nation, as the saying goes, whoever comes for the king is best not to be missed.
But as speculation simmers about the end of Prigozhin and the embarrassment that Putin couldn’t let it happen, it’s easy to overlook the horrific acts Progozhin’s mercenaries are said to have committed. To be clear: Prigozhin deserved the end, and all indications are that he met.
It is Putin’s invasion of Ukraine that really brought Prigozhin into the public eye, as the group spearheaded some of the bloodiest battles of the war over the eastern city of Bakhmut.”
Holly Bancroft26. Aug 2023 20:46
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Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said investigations into the deaths of pilots were ongoing
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said an investigation was underway into the deaths of three pilots killed in Friday’s collision between two training planes.
President Zelenskyy, who is banking on the rapid training of Ukrainian crews to fly up to 61 F-16 fighter jets promised by his Western allies, said the three men included Andriy Pilshchykov, “a Ukrainian officer, one of those who protect our state.” helped a lot.” ”
The investigation is still ongoing, he added in his evening video address. “It’s still too early to discuss details. Of course, all circumstances will be clarified.”
The Air Force said one of the pilots who died used the callsign “Juice.” The pilot became known through numerous interviews with international media, it said.
(Getty Images)
Holly Bancroft26. Aug 2023 20:08
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A monument in honor of Wagner boss Prigozhin appears in Moscow
An informal memorial to Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has appeared in Moscow, Russia.
Here are some pictures from today of the memorial and those who came to lay flowers.
(EPO)
(EPO)
(EPO)
Holly Bancroft26. Aug 2023 19:25
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Russian forces attacked a cafe on the Ukrainian front, killing two people
Russian forces attacked a cafe in a key frontline area in northeastern Ukraine, killing two civilians and wounding a third, regional officials said.
The shelling near the town of Kupyansk came as British officials said Russia may be trying to retake territory that Kiev seized in a lightning-fast counter-offensive last September after more than six months of Russian occupation.
Heavy fighting earlier this month led to forced evacuations and fears of a second Russian takeover.
Regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said in a Telegram post that Russian shells hit the cafe in Podoly, an eastern suburb of Kupyansk, on Saturday.
He added that rescue teams were working at the scene.
Tatyana Skrypnikova, 60, who suffered minor shrapnel wounds, stands among the rubble of her neighbors’ house, which was destroyed after shelling in the village ofnZaoskillya, near Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast
(AFP via Getty Images)
War crimes prosecutors work at the scene of a shelling in the village of Podoly, near Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region, in this handout photo taken and released by the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine on Aug. 26, 2023.
(Office of the Attorney General)
Holly Bancroft26. Aug 2023 6:48pm