UK claims Russia has deployed private military forces on front lines in Ukraine

UK claimed on July 29 that a Russian private military company has likely been given responsibility for particular front-line areas in Ukraine. According to latest intelligence report from UK Ministry of Defence, Russian private military company (PMC) Wagner Group has likely been assigned responsibility for certain areas of front line in war-torn eastern Ukraine, similar to legitimate army formations.

ministry stated on July 29 in a routine intelligence report on Twitter that this is a substantial change from group's prior employment since 2015, when it rmally undertook tasks different from overt, large-scale regular Russian military activity. UK ministry went on to say that Russian government's long-standing policy of denying connections between PMCs and Russian state was furr undermined by this increased degree of integration between secretive group and Russian army.

UK MoD said, "Since March, Russian private military company (PMC) Wagner Group has operated in eastern Ukraine in coordination with Russian military. Wagner has likely been allocated responsibility for specific sectors of front line, in a similar manner to rmal army units. This is a significant change from previous employment of group since 2015, when it typically undertook missions distinct from overt, large-scale regular Russian military activity."

adjustment was attributed to Moscow's severe lack of combat soldiers, but according to British intelligence, it was unlikely that Wagner forces would be sufficient to significantly alter course of war. Analysts have seen that Kremlin is depending more and more on Wagner to keep its presence in portions of Ukraine it has conquered and to get those areas ready for annexation into Russia.

 Wagner Group

Wagner is directed by Dmitry Utkin, a veteran of Chechen battles and former chief of Russia's foreign military intelligence organisation, according to US and European authorities. Despite Kremlin's denial, its manment and activities are said to be tightly linked with Russian military and intelligence ncies.

In its assessment of military organisation, Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies stated, "Wagner Group w provides a range of services, including military and paramilitary capabilities, covert media, and political manipulations."

Wagner, most well-kwn of several Russian private military organisations, was initially deployed to Ukraine in 2014, where it assisted in seizure of Crimean peninsula before relocating to Syria in 2015. It has w been revealed that it intervened in Libya, Central African Republic, Mali, Mozambique, and Sudan, according to several media reports.

Im: AP