Wagner’s coup, which led to the banishment of its founder and number one, Yevgeny Prigozhin, to Belarus, will pose problems for Russia in conducting the war in Ukraine. This is what the British intelligence stated, explaining what problems Vladimir Putin’s men will have after the losses in the clash, which almost turned into civil war: “On June 24, the air defense forces of the private military company Wagner allegedly shot down Russian military helicopters and a Ilyushin Il-22M airborne command aircraft, part of a relatively small fleet of up to 12 aircraft, are used extensively for both air guidance and radio transmission duties. These special aircraft played a key role for the Russian armed forces in the war against Ukraine. The loss of this aircraft is likely to have a negative impact on Russian air and ground operations.”
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“In the short term,” says the Ministry of Defense in London, “the psychological shock of losing large numbers of crew members will almost certainly damage morale within the Russian Air Force.” to securely manage the remaining fleet. This is likely to undermine Russia’s ability to command and coordinate its forces, especially in rapid operations.” In Kiev, they certainly rejoiced in the fratricidal confrontation.
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