(TheConservativeTimes.org) – The Ukrainian GUR (Military Intelligence Directorate) allegedly overheard a phone conversation between Russian soldiers and claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin was training his military in Ukraine using the Wagner Group. The GUR uploaded the call to its Telegram page.
It may show how Putin is using Wagner’s legacy now that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the group’s leader, was killed in an airplane accident in August. Reports show that in June, Prigozhin led a revolt against Moscow with his mercenaries. He had previously had a tight relationship with the Kremlin leader.
The intercepted conversation reveals that a Russian soldier serving in Ukraine informed his comrade that people from Wagner are here teaching them, and the mercenaries are returning to the battlefield, as reported by the Kyiv Post in an English translation of the call.
Wagner soldiers were heavily involved in the offensive fronts under Moscow’s control, particularly in the months-long attack on the Donetsk city of Bakhmut, where they fought side by side with Russian forces.
Prigozhin was exiled to Belarus as a condition to avoid prosecution for his failed revolt. Anyone from the Wagner mercenary group who stayed in Ukraine instead of going to Belarus might enlist in the regular Russian military. Some remained in Africa to continue their previous work. Prigozhin owned eateries and catering companies that served the Kremlin, which earned him the nickname “Putin’s chef.”
According to Russian media, the rumors of Wagner mercenaries returning to Ukraine began circulating in September. Wagner reportedly started recruiting soldiers in late October, with the help of Prigozhin’s son Pavel, to join the Russian National Guard and engage in the conflict in Ukraine.
As part of its investigation into alleged atrocities in Ukraine, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has levied charges against Putin and the Wagner Group, both of whom have a history of war crime accusations. Following allegations that Russian forces kidnapped children from Ukraine, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March.
The very same ICC that in 2020 claimed there was not enough evidence to look into allegations that the Chinese government is committing genocide against ethnic Uyghurs. The accusers have said plenty of evidence has already been sent to the International Criminal Court.
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