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[email protected] Yaroslav Nesterenko, chief editor of Popasna.City (a news outlet relocated from Luhansk oblast – Ed.), has resigned from the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces after being severely wounded, the Prince Roman the Great mechanized brigade No. 14 reports on Facebook The brigade says that Yaroslav was wounded in Kharkiv oblast The soldiers were filming a video report about Kupyansk and the brigade's fighters another shelling round began and Yaroslav Nesterenko was seriously wounded Photo by the Prince Roman the Great mechanized brigade No “He was taken to the hospital with a camera in his hands His wife Alina was with him the whole time he texted us saying that he could work remotely,” the brigade said The military unit added that they have known Yaroslav since 2018 the brigade was on the defense in the Popasna area (Luhansk oblast) Yaroslav and the unit collaborated to produce content for his media outlets Popasnyanskyi Visnyk (printed newspaper – Ed.) and the news website Popasna.City The brigade also said that Yaroslav and his family were in Popasna when the full-scale invasion began Yaroslav left Popasna when the invaders came close to the city and settled in Cherkasy oblast together with his wife and son In a comment to the Institute of Mass Information representative Valentyna Troyan Yaroslav Nesterenko said that the online media outlet Smila.City which he founded after moving from Popasna to this Cherkasy oblast city suspended operations when he enlisted while Popasna.City continues its work "I don't know what I am going to do yet," Yaroslav Nesterenko remarked As previously reported, Popasna.City and Smila.City chief editor Yaroslav Nesterenko enlisted in the Ukrainian Armed Forces in November 2023 [email protected] (050) 447-70-63 Ідентифікатор медіа: R40-01250 Reprinting and disseminating our information is allowed, but under strictly condition of reference to the source Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved deployment and combat value before 24 February 2022 The history of the Wagner Group dates back to the Donbas war in 2014–5 when several independent combat groups were formed from loose mercenary units each of strengths up to that of a light infantry company It is not exactly known how they were created They were generally supervised by the secret services and the Russian army provided them with its training centres and weapons These units were used primarily as sabotage and reconnaissance groups but they did not play a major role in this phase of the aggression in the Donbas One group commanded by a former Spetsnaz officer distinguished itself among the other units they were less and less involved in battle the Wagner Group became a well-coordinated and valuable light assault infantry grouping it only had experience of fighting poorly armed opponents and it was supported by the absolute firepower advantage of Russian artillery and aviation (the exception was the battle of Khasham in February 2018 in which the mercenary unit was defeated by American troops) the Wagner Group has never been a special forces unit composed of carefully selected soldiers Most of its mercenaries did not differ from typical Russian men in terms of their education or physical condition the Wagner Group had several thousand experienced mercenaries in Africa serving in shifts (some were on duty at least ten thousand people may have passed through its ranks a specific image of a mercenary developed in Russia: a man who is unyielding in battle does not shy away from committing war crimes against the enemy and at the same time looks down on the regular army with its rigid structure and predictable mode of operation The image of a ‘soldier of fortune’ who defends Russia’s interests around the world was successfully promoted primarily by social media associated with Prigozhin Spring: breaking Ukraine’s defences at Popasna There are many indications that at the beginning of 2022, Prigozhin was outside Putin’s immediate circle and was not privy to the plan of attack on Ukraine, and the Kremlin did not intend the Wagner Group to be used in the fighting.[6] The situation rapidly changed in the first month of the war when a significant part of the regular army units became unable to conduct offensive operations due to high personnel and equipment losses as well as professional soldiers terminating their contracts the Russian command decided to change its conduct of the ‘special operation’ and replace deep manoeuvres of mechanised columns combined with airborne assaults with infantry attacks along narrow sections of the front supported by artillery barrages they started to bring uninvolved military units to Ukraine and in view of the lack of valuable assault troops it was decided that the army would also use Prigozhin’s mercenaries troops consisting of several hundred soldiers were deployed and then directed to the area near Popasna where Ukrainian positions were well-fortified and a unit consisting of the Wagner Group and regular troops (the 76th Air Assault Division) managed to penetrate several kilometres into the Ukrainian lines its leading elements reached the Bakhmut-Lysychansk road and the vicinity of Soledar which could have resulted in the encirclement of the enemy troops defending the positions by the Donets and prisoners are recruited on a mass scale covering the basic knowledge of infantry assault tactics and any signs of breaking it resulted in corporal punishment or even execution The first group of these men was sent to the front in August and throughout September and October they became the backbone of the Russian assault troops near Bakhmut and Soledar Prigozhin planned for the Wagner Group to become an autonomous combat group capable of breaking the enemy’s defences near Bakhmut Experienced mercenaries were nominated as commanders and operators of specialised equipment (such as drones) criminals were used on a massive scale on the front line Prigozhin also gained access to army resources as well as supplies of heavy infantry weapons and drones Autumn and winter: the attack on Soledar and Bakhmut As the number of Wagner Group members increased over the autumn, it intensified its offensive operations in the Donbas and became the only Russian grouping to maintain the initiative.[15] During the Ukrainian offensive in Kharkiv and Luhansk oblasts the Wagner Group tied down large forces of the Ukrainian army near Bakhmut especially in the then key direction of Svatove-Kreminna This helped stabilise the front in the Luhansk oblast at the turn of October before the first reinforcements arrived as a result of the mobilisation announced on 21 September The Wagner Group’s activity reached its peak in November when it managed to capture Soledar and strengthen their positions in the southern and northern suburbs of Bakhmut This pressure was so strong that the Ukrainians were forced to concentrate a large part of their best units in this area; that allowed the Russians to complete the mobilisation process and replenish the understaffed brigades and divisions of the regular army During the autumn and winter clashes at Bakhmut, the Wagner Group suffered huge losses. It is estimated that out of approximately 50,000 prisoners recruited in the second half of 2022, only about 10,000 continued their service at the end of January; the rest had been killed, wounded or deserted.[17] Information about this and about the brutal treatment of the criminals by the old mercenaries leaked to the prisons and the influx of new volunteers practically stopped during the winter Since some of the Wagner assault troops had lost combat capability units of the regular army began to appear on a larger scale near Bakhmut in mid-January; this was primarily the 106th Airborne Division which consisted mainly of mobilised reservists They took over the section of the front south of the town and unsuccessfully attacked the village of Ivanivske and the road to Kostiantynivka the Ukrainian positions in Bakhmut itself were constantly attacked by mercenaries in February and March; they slowly displaced the defenders reaching the western districts of the town in mid-April Prospects for the Wagner Group’s further involvement in the Ukraine war There is every indication that the Wagner Group cannot continue operating as it is used to The prisons cannot continue to supply ‘cannon fodder’ en masse as before nor can volunteers ‘on the open market’ be recruited at the previous high rates as part of the ongoing mobilisation The Russian command does not need the support of mercenaries as it did in spring or summer as it can now guarantee reinforcements for the fighting brigades and divisions at a much lower cost The situation is further aggravated by the conflicts in which Prigozhin was personally involved even before the war and which have only intensified in recent months It seems that during the autumn he went all in and openly attacked some of the generals and the leadership of the Russian defence ministry which will probably lead to a reduction in his influence and curb his business and political ambitions well-developed esprit de corps and the myth created by propaganda are difficult to stomach both for many military officers and for part of the public including the nationalist circles associated with Igor Girkin it is unlikely that the Kremlin will let the defence ministry dissolve this structure completely and so it is likely to continue to operate as a part of the Russian troops in Ukraine over the coming months [1]   This commentary focuses on discussing the military aspects of the Wagner Group’s participation in the Russia-Ukraine war; first of all the organisational changes in this structure its military activity and its place within the Russian troops in Ukraine his connections with the Kremlin and the mercenaries’ activity in Africa during the Ukraine war are not discussed in this text [2]   The definition of a private military company does apply which for several years has been protecting industrial facilities in Syria for the Russian oligarch Gennady Timchenko and employs many former Wagner Group members It should not be confused with the Redut mercenary unit currently fighting in Ukraine [3]   According to official information during the first three years of intervention in Syria half of whom lost their lives in two plane crashes The estimated death toll within the Wagner Group in this period reached about 400 [4]   Интервью с экс-командиром НВФ "ЧВК Вагнера" и помощником Пригожина о Путине, войне и структуре "ЧВК" Vladimir Osechkin’s interview with Marat Gabidullin [5]   For more information on this issue see C. Faulkner, Undermining Democracy and Exploiting Clients: The Wagner Group’s Nefarious Activities in Africa [6]   Л. Яппарова, ‘Грубо говоря, мы начали войну. Как отправка ЧВК Вагнера на фронт помогла Пригожину наладить отношения с Путиным — и что такое «собянинский полк»’ [7]   И. Барабанов, ‘"ЧВК Вагнера" начала широкий набор наемников на войну с Украиной. Берут всех’ [8]   Update on Ukraine, Defence Intelligence, as in: tweet DefenceHQ [9]   Ю. Бутусов, Битва за Донбас почалась. Що відбувається на фронті? Yuri Butusov published first photographs of mercenaries killed in the Ukraine war [10] Л. Яппарова, ‘Грубо говоря, мы начали войну…’ [11] Ю. Бутусов, Обіцянки наступу: коли та як Україна зможе розгромити російську армію? there were also other mercenary structures such as the Redut unit (a Wagner Group equivalent controlled by the Ministry of Defence) and the Akhmat regiment formed in Chechnya they did not play any major role in the fighting [13] Ivan Neparatov (34) who had stabbed one of his victims 88 times and was serving a 25-year sentence for five murders was one of the most egregious ‘record holders’ among the prisoners recruited [15] The structure of the Russian command on the section of the front controlled by Wagner Group is unclear At the time when the group was at its largest (November to January) it was up to 50 km long and covered the area from the northern suburbs of Horlivka (Zaitseve-Maiorsk) to the outskirts of the village of Berestove the mercenaries were supported by subunits of the regular army (mainly artillery) and the 2nd Army Corps of the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic It seems that only former army officers were in command within the Wagner Group at the tactical level until the point when the assaults on Soledar and Bakhmut were coordinated a former special forces officer who had been expelled from the army a few years previously for document forgery and who has been linked to the Wagner Group at least since 2016 was named by Prigozhin as the ‘conqueror’ of Soledar [16] Ю. Бутусов, ‘Тактика "Вагнера": як досягають результатів зеки з тритижневою підготовкою та як їх б’ють?’ [17] ‘«Русь сидящая»…’ At the end of February the head of Ukrainian military intelligence also estimated that about 10,000 Wagner Group troops were directly involved in the fighting Higher figures were given by the US administration: according to its estimates as of the end of January the Wagner Group had around 50,000 people in Ukraine including 10,000 actual mercenaries and 40,000 recruited criminals these estimates fell to 6000 and 20,000–30,000 respectively the American data covered the entire group including people who were not directly involved at the front (convalescents Biuletyn Informacji Publicznej "The Russians damaged 11 houses and fired on their own positions from a mortar in Popasna Enemy losses are currently being determined Ukrainian troops continue to drive the Russian army out of Rubizhne and Popasna, where the occupier partially managed to gain a foothold. Street fighting continues in some areas of these towns. In Popasna, the enemy tried to storm using artillery but suffered losses. The enemy fired mortars on its own positions," Head of the Luhansk Regional State Administration Serhiy Haidai posted on Telegram According to the Head of the Luhansk Regional State Administration three more high-rise buildings and eight private houses were damaged by Russian fire in Severodonetsk the infrastructure of an ambulance station in Severodonetsk and two wholesale warehouses in the town also came under fire As a result of the aggressor's actions two people were injured and four were rescued from the rubble Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine has been going on since February 24 The aggressor shells and destroys key infrastructure facilities While citing and using any materials on the Internet links to the website ukrinform.net not lower than the first paragraph are mandatory citing the translated materials of foreign media outlets is possible only if there is a link to the website ukrinform.net and the website of a foreign media outlet Materials marked as "Advertisement" or with a disclaimer reading "The material has been posted in accordance with Part 3 of Article 9 of the Law of Ukraine "On Advertising" No 1996 and the Law of Ukraine "On the Media" No 2023 and on the basis of an agreement/invoice Online media entity; Media identifier - R40-01421 Michael Sheldon is a researcher for Bellingcat He has a background in open source research and verification on the conflict in the Donbas The video was made up of drone footage taken from two different angles observed unidentified persons walking through the grounds of the facility geolocated as to areas which were behind the Russian lines at the time observed explosions from bombs hitting the area The stationary nature of the drone suggested that a quadcopter type drone was used in both videos But Russkaya Vesna neglected to mention one key fact — this was a facility which provides drinking water to approximately one million people in the region which pumps water from the Siverskyi Donets towards several settlements in the north of the Luhansk Region Drone footage of Russian strike on a Ukrainian water facility near Bilohorivka It’s not the first time that armed conflict has jeopardised the water infrastructure of eastern Ukraine. Water infrastructure in the Donbas, which was often shared by territories under Russian occupation and those under Ukrainian government control, was in a state of disrepair and in need of a massive overhaul prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 Russia’s full-scale invasion has exacerbated that trend adding yet another dimension to the humanitarian catastrophe in the Donbas showing water infrastructure facilities mentioned in this article “The water situation is the Donbas region has been complicated by war since 2014 The region has few resources given the intense consumption of the water-hungry metals and coking industries and the densely populated areas the water stems from a small river the Siverskyi Donets flowing in the north” now working on economics in wartime in Ukraine at the Centre Marc Bloch in Berlin Lambroschini added that these large-scale pipeline and canal networks are part of a holistic system which requires electricity and chemical treatment; any disruption can cause humanitarian consequences hundreds of miles away: “When a critical node on that journey is cut all the settlements downstream are affected.” The Siverskyi Donets river is one of the most important waterways of the Donbas Region flowing through cities such as Izyum and Lysychansk into Russia It is also of great strategic significance; Russian forces have fought to establish bridgeheads across the river as they push deeper into the Donbas On May 8 Russia attempted a river crossing north of the water facility. After heavy fighting, these Russian forces were destroyed by the Ukrainian military which widely publicised its success Open source imagery shows that the pumping station and first lift of the Popasna Water Pipeline sustained heavy damage on further occasions after the May 5 attack Imagery from a PlanetScope Super Dove satellite showed a change which suggested additional damage to the facility on May 8 that was not visible the previous day It is unclear whether the facility was functional at this time but the additional damage appeared severe and would likely complicate reconstruction PlanetScope Super Dove imagery showing damage to a water facility near Bilohorivka from May 7 to May 8 In the above imagery, a white blob to the right of the pumping station (seen under the arrow) depicts debris from an explosion at the facility This was later confirmed with higher resolution imagery (as will be detailed  later) Online maps show the presence of a filtration station in the area at coordinates 48.9179925 about 3.5 kilometres from the water intake station on the Siverskyi Donets River on the other side of the town of Bilohorivka It is not known whether this is the facility to which Haidai referred Bellingcat was unable to establish whether there is a filter at the aforementioned intake station itself High-resolution imagery from this main filtration station (and second lift) near Bilohorivka did show potential artillery impacts near and on the facility grounds on June 3 However it was not possible to determine the extent of the damage showing damage to a water filtration facility near Bilohorivka Returning to the water intake facility on the riverbank satellite imagery collected by Planet Labs Skysat on May 17 showed the true extent of the damage to the structure Several craters (highlighted with stippled circles) were visible throughout the territory of this water pumping facility showing damage at the aforementioned water facility near Bilohorivka The May 17 imagery showed craters surrounding the electrical substation and open switchgear (the collection of transformers circled to the left of the building) as well as a completely destroyed pumping station (centre) Haidai wrote in his May 8 announcement that it will not be possible to restore the facility to working condition during wartime Whichever of the two facilities he may have referred to the extent of damage seen on images of both makes his prediction plausible It is unclear who was responsible for the damage to the water facility on May 8 The area was subject to additional attempted crossings by the Russian military and imagery from the ground showed evidence of heavy fighting Picture showing water intake facility near Bilohorivka destroyed. (Source: Yuriy Butusov / Censor.UA the Siverskyi Donets also intersects with a series of canals and pipelines which carry water into the Donetsk Region With Russia’s full-scale invasion those front lines have moved forward — putting the SDD at further risk On May 17, 2022, regional water provider Voda Donbasu issued a statement that its most important facilities remain ‘de-energised’ as a result of the war This means that a lack of electricity hindered their operation whether the facilities themselves had been attacked or not as well as the third lift of the SDD canal The Voda Donbasu statement also mentioned that the pump stations of the first and second lift of the South Donbas Water Way (SDWW) Bellingcat analysed Planet satellite imagery of the second lift pump station from March 29 The imagery showed no apparent damage on March 29 burn marks and possible artillery impacts were visible nearby Planet satellite imagery showing damage to a water facility in Donetsk Region. (map link) the fields surrounding the facility were visibly covered in dark specks suggesting a high amount of artillery impacts The SDWW carries water down to Mariupol from the SDD in Donetsk and has long been jeopardised due to the first lift’s precarious position on the front lines near Avdiivka the second lift lay within Ukrainian government-held territory the outlook for water security in the Donbas remains bleak “At present the extensive water supply system that was supplying drinking water to four million people and supplying industry has stopped operating” “The canal and pipeline system is damaged by months of shelling Also water can’t flow without electricity to operate pumps and filters As a result the whole region under the impact of the Russian advance into Ukrainian territory in most of Luhansk and Donetsk Oblast has been cut off from essential utilities (power “At this point the water situation will remain critical because repairs would require de-mining and re-establishing power lines.” Which language would you like to use this site in? Four members of staff from Amnesty International give their perspective on the impact Russia’s occupation of Ukraine has had on their lives, and how they feel Ukraine has changed since the full-scale invasion. Before the events of spring 2014, Anna lived in Donetsk, having recently graduated, Anna hoped to pursue a career as a language teacher. “We have lots of spring holidays and”, she recalls that times. “We generally spent them with our relatives in Kramatorsk and nearby villages. That year, however, they told us not to come. ‘We can hear sounds of fighting, there are check points everywhere, food supplies are interrupted,’ they told us. At that moment, it seemed unbelievable, as life in Donetsk was going on as usual.” “I haven’t been in Kramatorsk since the full-scale invasion, but I do occasionally come to Kyiv, and every time I admire that it is as beautiful and lively as it used to be and; my loved ones still live there. But you can still see that life if far from normal there: constant air raid alerts, power cuts, scarcity of certain products” “When I left Donetsk, I thought it was only for 3 months, and everything would be over. But it’s been 10 years since I left home in Donetsk and 2 years since I left my home in Kyiv”. Julia, from Luhansk, which is another city in the east of Ukraine that fell victim of Russia’s invasion, was getting her second degree in political science, preparing for her exams in 2014. Just like Anna, she had to leave home in the summer. “I never expected that something like that could happen in our city. [One the Russian forces arrived] the city felt increasingly more dangerous. Tanks, artillery, trucks, and soldiers started to pass through the city. We tried not to leave the apartment without a good reason. I remember we went to the store; we saw tanks passing along the streets with Russian flags on them and Russian military personnel. All in uniform, with weapons.” “We hesitated to leave. But one day we saw that separatists installed a weapon near our building and started shooting. That is when we decided to leave for Popasna. Now, after the full-scale invasion Popasna is under occupation and about 96 percent of the buildings have been destroyed. “Sometimes I come across pictures of the ruined town in social media. I think what changed for me now is that now I really miss the feeling of control and security. Now I know that anything can happen.” Daryna, who is from a small town near Kyiv, was fifteen when the Russian invasion and occupation started. “My school was right near the presidential administration, and we were witnessing all the events of the Maidan revolution right through our windows.” “When the occupation of Crimea started, as well as hostilities in the east, it didn’t affect me much; I didn’t have any relatives or friends there. I didn’t understand what exactly was happening, but I knew that it was something bad.” “In summer 2014, I started noticing some changes in my neighbourhood. There were more cars with Luhansk and Donetsk plates, more new people. It was much later I found out that my town was one of the centres for displaced people to move in.” “I joined Amnesty International in 2019 when I was 21. As a citizen of Ukraine, I feel terribly guilty that I didn’t do enough to support people who lost their homes because of Russia’s invasion back in 2014.” I think now, after I am also displaced, I understand that as Ukrainians we want solidarity from the world and we want people to empathize with us, but I also remember how we ourselves weren’t able to provide necessary support to our compatriots. So, I realize how difficult it can be to understand what is really happening if it happens far away and doesn’t affect you directly.”  Patrick came to eastern Ukraine in 2016, two years after the war in eastern Ukraine started, with a humanitarian organization that was working on demining. “When I came to Kramatorsk, the active hostilities had calmed down, and despite its proximity to the front line, Kramatorsk seemed like a peaceful city. There was still this traumatic experience and memory floating in the air. Working in demining, however, I could see every day the scars that Russian invasion was leaving on the land and on people’s lives. “I didn’t believe that a full-scale invasion was possible. I also knew that Ukraine in 2022 was a very different country than in 2014, much stronger and more united.” “Less than a year after that I joined Amnesty International as a Ukraine-focused researcher. I hope I my work will make justice for victims of Russia’s aggression at least a bit more achievable.” Those responsible for gross violations and crimes under international law must be brought to justice. Together we can fight for human rights everywhere. Your donation can transform the lives of millions. If you are talented and passionate about human rights then Amnesty International wants to hear from you. Reporting by Jahnavi Nidumolu in Bengaluru; Editing by Tom Hogue The relevant statement was made by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook the enemy continued to conduct offensive operations within the Eastern Operational Zone in order to defeat the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) group gain full control over Donetsk Region and Luhansk Region and ensure a land route between these territories and the temporarily occupied Crimea Russian troops did not take active actions There were no significant changes in the positions and activity of enemy units guarding the Ukrainian-Belarusian border and the Ukrainian-Russian border Russian invaders continued shelling such settlements as Kharkiv Prudianka and Korobochkyne with cannon and rocket artillery systems In the Izium-Barvinkove and Izium-Sloviansk directions the enemy attempted to conduct storming operations but failed Russian troops were shelling such settlements as Velyka Komyshuvakha the enemy launched artillery strikes on the positions of Ukrainian forces Russian troops launched missile and air strikes on the Azovstal plant Russian invaders are conducting storming operations near Popasna Russian troops opened fire on the positions of Ukrainian forces near Kniazivka and Mykolaivka the JFO group has successfully repelled seven enemy attacks '+n.escapeExpression("function"==typeof(o=null!=(o=r(e,"eyebrowText")||(null!=l?r(l,"eyebrowText"):l))?o:n.hooks.helperMissing)?o.call(null!=l?l:n.nullContext||{},{name:"eyebrowText",hash:{},data:t,loc:{start:{line:28,column:63},end:{line:28,column:78}}}):o)+" \n '+(null!=(o=c(e,"if").call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2PreText"):l,{name:"if",hash:{},fn:n.program(32,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:63,column:20},end:{line:63,column:61}}}))?o:"")+"\n"+(null!=(o=(c(e,"ifAll")||l&&c(l,"ifAll")||n.hooks.helperMissing).call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Text"):l,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Link"):l,{name:"ifAll",hash:{},fn:n.program(34,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:64,column:20},end:{line:70,column:30}}}))?o:"")+" As noted, the enemy suffers manpower and hardware losses in these battles. "Our guys down drones. On the border between Luhansk and Kharkiv regions, planes are shot down. That is, they [Ukrainian troops] hold the defense," Haidai said. As reported, the second phase of a full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war has begun, in which the battle in eastern Ukraine will be the main one. Online media entity; Media identifier - R40-01421. © 2015-2025 Ukrinform. All rights reserved. saying the bloc was funding Moscow's war effort and that delay "merely means more Ukrainians being killed."In a telephone call with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer Putin stuck to his line that a global food crisis caused by the conflict can be resolved only if the West lifts sanctions.Nehammer said Putin expressed readiness to discuss a prisoner swap with Ukraine but he said: "If he is really ready to negotiate is a complex question."Russia's blockade of Ukrainian ports has halted shipments of grain Russia accuses Ukraine of mining the ports and Ukraine has described the Russian position as "blackmail".Russia which calls its invasion a "special military operation" launched its assault in part to ensure Ukraine does not join the U.S.-led NATO military alliance.But the war has pushed Sweden and Finland who were both neutral throughout the Cold War to apply to join NATO in one of the most significant changes in European security in decades.The Nordic states' bids have been tripped up over opposition by NATO member Turkey which contends they harbour people linked to a militant group it deems a terrorist organisation Swedish and Finnish diplomats met in Turkey on Wednesday to try to bridge their differences."It is not an easy process," a senior Turkish official told Reuters on Friday adding that Sweden and Finland must take "difficult" steps to win Ankara's support.Reporting by Natalia Zinets Conor Humphries and Pavel Polityuk in Kyiv Vitaliy Hnidyi in Kharkiv and Reuters journalists in Popasna; Writing by Peter Graff Catherine Evans and Rami Ayyub; Editing by Philippa Fletcher Russians accused of barbaric behaviour apparently seen in videos and photos from captured city of Popasna Horrific video and photos have emerged that appear to show the head of a Ukrainian prisoner of war stuck on a pole outside a house in the eastern Ukrainian city of Popasna which was captured by Russian forces in May and is close to the current frontline in the Donbas The Ukrainian governor of Luhansk province posted the gruesome photo on his Telegram channel It has since been widely shared on social media Ukrainians have accused Russian troops of barbaric medieval behaviour and likened the image to Lord of the Rings “There is nothing human about the Russians The Guardian has not confirmed the authenticity of the photo Geolocation tools suggest it is genuine and was taken in late July The video shows the headless and handless body of a man dressed in military uniform Two hands have been placed on metal spikes on a fence either side of the head The Ukrainian army retreated from Popasna in early May claimed his troops had seized control of the town In July Russian forces captured the entirety of Luhansk province On Saturday they were attempting to storm the city of Bakhmut with the Russians edging towards the city’s western outskirts The photo is the latest apparent atrocity committed by Moscow’s soldiers since Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February. Last week footage emerged of a fighter allegedly castrating a bound Ukrainian prisoner The footage was originally posted on pro-Russian Telegram channels. On Saturday the website Bellingcat published an investigation into the incident Citing visual clues and open source evidence the website said a Chechen paramilitary formation was present at the scene It identified a Russian soldier wearing a distinctive black wide-brimmed hat seen in the footage. The soldier denied taking part in the mutilation and execution, but confirmed Russia’s security services had questioned him about it, Bellingcat reported The alleged location was an abandoned sanatorium in Pryvillia Ukrainian forces had previously occupied the 1970s complex that overlooks the Siverskyi Donets River The head on the pole image has caused widespread revulsion Ukraine’s former ambassador to Austria Olexander Scherba described it as a Russian war crime a former oligarch jailed by Putin who is now in exile in London said the picture was an example of Russky Mir The phrase describes the Kremlin’s efforts to reunite Russian speakers in the cultural and political realm He tweeted: “Will Russia be able to recover from this & come back to the community of civilised nations it brings the darkness of the middle ages to its neighbours & peoples around the globe #russianworld arrived to the occupied Popasna in Donbas.” This article was amended on 9 August 2022 to refer to footage of a fighter allegedly castrating a bound Ukrainian prisoner rather than to a Chechen fighter allegedly performing that act as an earlier version said: it is not known where the fighter was from ShareSaveThis article is more than 2 years old.The smoking wreckage of a Russian Su-25 in Donbas on May 22 Ukrainian air-defense troops firing a Stinger man-portable missile shot down a Russian Su-25 attack jet over the battlefield near Popasna on Sunday What’s noteworthy is the dead pilot’s identity. The BBC confirmed the man who died behind the Su-25’s controls while supporting the Russian attack around Popasna was Kanamat Botashev He left the Russian air force as a general back in 2012 after “borrowing” an Su-27 fighter—a type he was not qualified to fly—and crashing it after a brief Botashev reportedly signed on with the Wagner Group a sort of private holding company for ex-servicemembers that appears to function as a de facto arm of the Russian military implying that the company is hiring out its pilots to fly government aircraft That’s more than a tenth of the invasion force it had to hire Wagner mercenaries to reinforce some of its front-line battalions The BBC has confirmed the deaths of around 30 Russian pilots The air force clearly is struggling to replace them with equally experienced fliers Stealing an Su-27 no longer is disqualifying It won’t be easy or bloodless for the Russians. “There has been strong Ukrainian resistance with forces occupying well dug-in defensive positions,” the U.K. Defense Ministry stated. Those forces include Stinger missile teams taking potshots at Russian attack jets. Possibly flown by mercenaries. While Russia’s advances in Donbas pose a serious threat to Ukraine’s integrity, it’s worth asking what happens after the current offensive. If it’s taking the last of Russia’s trained manpower—that is, its mercenaries—to encircle one Ukrainian garrison out of dozens just a few miles from Russian-controlled territory, what are the prospects for a wider Russian offensive this summer? The Russian army is trying to increase the speed of the operation to gain full control of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian military said Saturday.  The Ukrainian army and its people continued their “heroic resistance against the Russian military occupation,” the Ukrainian General Staff said in a statement. Emphasizing that the Russian army is trying to take control of the cities of Popasna and Rubizhne in the Donetsk and Kherson regions, it said the Russians focused on preparing for the attack on the city of Severodonetsk. It added that Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, is under a partial blockade. At least 2,435 civilians have been killed and 2,946 injured in Ukraine since the war began Feb. 24, according to UN estimates, with the true figure believed to be much higher. More than 5.1 million Ukrainians have fled to other countries, with over 7.7 million more internally displaced, said the UN refugee agency. Writing by William Schomberg; Editing by Kate Holton Kotenok writes that the strike was probably carried out using a HIMARS MLRS On August 8, military correspondent Sergey Sreda published photos of Wagner PMC mercenaries in Popasna It is not known when exactly they were taken The photos also showed a man who looks like Yevgeny Prigozhin The location where those photos were taken is very similar to the one that was hit On July 20, it was reported that servicemen of the 58th separate motorized infantry brigade named after Hetman Ivan Vygovsky of the Armed Forces of Ukraine liquidated a group of Wagner mercenaries The capture of Popasna is considered the main achievement of the Wagner PMC Meduza wrote about it in an investigation about mercenaries in the war in Ukraine After the PMC occupied the Ukrainian settlement VGTRK correspondent Sergei Zenin praised them: “This section of the front line even has its own “military band,” which is always there when there’s action but there’s never a word about it,” he said Zenin did not mention that Ukrainian law enforcement agencies accused three PMC mercenaries of committing war crimes and killing civilians We really need your help! 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Сделано в Charmer устарел и не позволяет корректно отображать сайт Russian forces made minor advances in the ongoing offensive in eastern Ukraine on April 19 seizing several small towns and advancing into the key frontline towns of Rubizhne and Popasna Russian forces continued major assaults with heavy air and artillery support but are continuing to build the logistics and command-and-control capabilities necessary for a larger offensive Russian forces have not achieved any major breakthroughs nor have they demonstrated any new capability to conduct multiple successful Russian forces additionally made grinding progress against remaining Ukrainian defenders in Mariupol’s Azovstal Steel Works and announced plans for a May 9 Victory Day parade in the city – indicating Russian forces will declare victory in Mariupol by that date at the latest Russian forces may be preparing to conscript Ukrainian citizens amid continuing recruitment challenges The Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) reported on April 20 that Russian occupation forces are planning to hold pseudo-referendums in occupied Zaporizhia and Kherson Oblasts to declare a forced mobilization and “throw ‘mobilized’ Ukrainians to the hottest parts of the front.”[1] If confirmed this effort is highly unlikely to generate meaningful combat power and will provoke an uptick in protests and partisan actions against Russian forces in these regions The GUR additionally reported that Russia’s FSB is conducting a purge of the political leadership of the LNR in retaliation for its failure to achieve military objectives since February 24.[2] We do not report in detail on Russian war crimes because those activities are well-covered in Western media and do not directly affect the military operations we are assessing and forecasting We will continue to evaluate and report on the effects of these criminal activities on the Ukrainian military and population and specifically on combat in Ukrainian urban areas We utterly condemn these Russian violations of the laws of armed conflict and humanity even though we do not describe them in these reports ISW has updated its assessment of the four primary efforts Russian forces are engaged in at this time: Subordinate main effort – Mariupol (Russian objective: Capture Mariupol and reduce the Ukrainian defenders) Russian forces made marginal gains in assaults against the Azovstal Steel Plant on April 20.[3] Video footage depicted Russian Naval Infantry and other mechanized units fighting on the outskirts of the plant.[4] Russian aircraft continued to heavily target the Azovstal plant.[5] Pro-Russian Telegram channels claimed that DNR militia and potentially Russian Special Operations forces are "clearing" the Azovstal Plant of Ukrainian sources but we cannot confirm if Russian forces have been able to take portions of the plant itself.[6] Notably DNR-appointed occupation authorities of Mariupol announced on April 20 that Russian and DNR forces will hold a ”Victory Day” parade in Mariupol on May 9.[7] Russian forces may undertake hasty and poorly-organized offensive actions to clear Azovstal before this date Subordinate main effort – Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts (Russian objective: Capture the entirety of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts the claimed territory of Russia’s proxies in Donbas) Russian forces continued offensive operations concentrated on Rubizhne and Malinka and likely captured several outlying suburbs of Severodonetsk on April 20.[8] Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov claimed that Chechen and LNR troops took full control of Rubizhne on April 20 but ISW is unable to independently verify this claim and the Urkainian General Staff reported Ukrainian forces remained in control of Rubizhne an hour before Kadyrov’s claim.[9] The Ukrainian General Staff reported on April 20 that Russian forces are actively fighting in Torske and Zelena Dolyna two towns west of Russian positions in Rubizhne.[10] Pro-Russian sources additionally claimed that Russian forces took control of Kreminna and Stara Krasyanka Russian forces continued attempts to advance into Popasna and reportedly captured residential sectors of the city.[12] A Ukrainian officer and military blogger posted images of what he claimed to be dead Libyan mercenaries in Popasna on April 20 and Secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov reported that Ukrainian forces killed 20-25 ”Libyan and Syrian mercenaries” in Popasna.[13] Danilov stated he thinks Russia has deployed only 300-500 Syrian and Libyan mercenaries to the frontline ISW has not observed any deployments of cohesive units of Syrian or Libyan fighters and these recruits are likely individual fighters operating under the umbrella of the Wagner Group Russian forces additionally conducted unsuccessful attacks north towards Temirivka and Hulyaipole on April 20 likely attempting to begin an encirclement of Ukrainian forces near Donetsk city.[14] Russian forces are continuing to deploy reinforcements to eastern Ukraine and prepare for further offensive actions The Ukrainian General Staff reported on April 20 that elements of Russia’s 90th Tank Division and 232nd Rocket Artillery Brigade deployed into Ukraine from Russia.[15] The General Staff additionally reported that Russian forces are reconnoitering routes to prep for further offensives towards Lyman and Sloviansk (west of Severodonetsk).[16] Supporting Effort #1—Kharkiv and Izyum: (Russian objective: Advance southeast to support Russian operations in Luhansk Oblast; defend ground lines of communication (GLOCs) to the Izyum axis) Russian forces continued to shell areas of Kharkiv Oblast and partially block Kharkiv city on April 20.[17] The Ukrainian General Staff stated that Russian forces mounted attacks south and southwest of Izyum with ”partial success,” indicating localized advances.[18] Russian forces are continuing to take losses over the course of such attempted offensives in Kharkiv Oblast and the Ukrainian General Staff reported that a battalion tactical group (BTG) of the 237th Tank Regiment of the 3rd Motorized Rifle Division withdrew from Kharkiv Oblast back to its permanent deployment point in Belgorod Supporting Effort #2—Southern axis: (Objective: Defend Kherson against Ukrainian counterattacks) Russian forces attacked Ukrainian positions in Oleksandrivka and may have secured minor advances on April 20.[20] Russian forces are likely conducting localized attacks to reduce Ukrainian pressure on Kherson city rather than resuming major offensive operations towards Mykolayiv Supporting Effort #3—Sumy and Northeastern Ukraine: (Russian objective: Withdraw combat power in good order for redeployment to eastern Ukraine) There was no significant change in this area in the past 24 hours. [1] https://gur.gov dot ua/content/putin-planuie-provesty-prymusovu-mobilizatsiiu-na-okupovanykh-terytoriiakh-zaporizkoi-ta-khersonskoi-oblastei.html. [2] https://gur.gov dot ua/content/na-foni-nevdach-na-fronti-moskva-rozpochala-chystky-kerivnykiv-lnr.html. [3]https://twitter.com/GeoConfirmed/status/1516793740580605962;  https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/299092695737149; https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1516742253926137857; https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1516742253926137857; https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1516739932039041024; https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1516689834580103169; https://t.me/anna_news/28924; https://t dot me/izvestia/86285 [4] https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1516742253926137857; https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1516742253926137857; https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1516739932039041024  [5] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/298791202433965; https://t dot me/zvezdanews/77210. [6] https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1516482896890056705; https://twitter.com/zcjbrooker/status/1516211346609778695/photo/3  [8] https://t.me/stranaua/37559; https://twitter.com/GeoConfirmed/status/1516815244160606214; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/299092695737149 [9] ttps://t.me/istorijaoruzija/56852; https://t.me/RKadyrov_95/1938; https://t.me/readovkanews/31468; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/299092695737149.  [10] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/298791202433965 [11] https://t dot me/nm_dnr/7682; https://t.me/RKadyrov_95/1935 [12] https://www.radiosvoboda dot org/a/situaciya-v-popasniy/31812758.html?nocache=1; https://t.me/stranaua/37606.     [13] https://t dot me/a_shtirlitz/17714?single; https://t dot me/a_shtirlitz/17714 [14] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/299092695737149; https://t.me/stranaua/37606; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk4DIUY9RsY. [15] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/299092695737149. [16] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/299092695737149. [17] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/298791202433965 [18] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/299092695737149; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/298791202433965; https://t.me/stranaua/37545. [19] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/298791202433965 [20] https://t.me/stranaua/37606; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk4DIUY9RsY; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/298791202433965; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/299092695737149; https://t.me/stranaua/37606; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk4DIUY9RsY got behind the wheel herself and drove four heavily injured adults from Popasna through minefields under enemy fire The full video of her story was handed over to The Insider by First Medical Association of Lviv The girl said that she learned to drive when she was seven years old She decided to get behind the wheel so she could transport the wounded as quickly as possible before they lost too much blood but on the way out of Popasna the car was shot up by Russian soldiers The girl sustained a leg injury: her left pinky toe was shot off and a bullet hit her knee and later she had part of her toe amputated The military helped her and her passengers to get to St says the girl and the adults are now under the care of doctors The hospital in the small Ukrainian town of Bakhmut was never intended to receive queues of ambulances bringing the wounded and traumatised from the front line of Europe's biggest battlefield to be shuttling back and forth to the front line of a brutal tank battle "I haven't seen so much human tragedy before Absolutely unnecessary suffering," said Elena Bulakhtina a Russian-born Canadian who joined the Pirogov First Volunteer Mobile Hospital a group of civilian healthcare professionals dedicated to providing medical care on the front line The hospital's main job now is to "stabilise" the injured from the battle zone around the town of Popasna in the Luhansk region so that they can be moved on to bigger hospitals in western Ukraine "Any Russian who can do something concrete to help Ukraine Bulakhtina is using her ability to speak Russian to communicate with Ukrainians from regions like Donbas She counts herself lucky to have a Canadian passport and medical training that allowed her entry into the country And now I see that number of victims is just huge .. People are dying - and dying in all cities." The sheer scale of a front line that stretches for hundreds of kilometres has stretched Ukraine's resources to the limit Some of the ambulances arriving at the hospital are second-hand German or Polish ones a wooden door used as a stretcher lies covered in dried blood mud covered soldier who joined the fighting a few days after the invasion started in February He is among a group of soldiers diagnosed with shell-shock They attacked us with everything - artillery airplanes - there were shelling everywhere "We were in the battle for almost six days Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb 24 in what it called "a special operation" to demilitarise and "denazify" its southern neighbour Ukraine and its allies dismiss that as a baseless pretext for war takes advantage of the wait for a video chat with his granddaughter "My family is safe there while we are going through this." One ambulance has to evacuate two combatants in a space that normally takes just one patient but he may lose the use of his arms and legs About 70 km (44 miles) northwest of Bakhmut 20-year-old volunteer Aleksandra Pohranychna does not even have an ambulance She is the only paramedic serving her unit and waits in the town of Sviatohirsk until soldiers take her to the front or bring the wounded to her Her father back in Lviv in western Ukraine gave her money to buy personal protection gear - but her mother has stopped talking to her On her arm she has a tattoo of the Ukrainian coat of arms with a quotation from the Ukrainian poet Lesya Ukrainka: “I have in my heart something that will never die." (Photo Editing Kezia Levitas; Reporting Jorge Silva and Ivan Lubysh-Kirdey; Writing Kevin Liffey; Text Editing Lisa Shumaker; Layout Kezia Levitas) A Ukrainian soldier is carried from an ambulance into a hospital after being injured in combat in Popasna A Ukrainian soldier lies in an ambulance after being injured during combat in Popasna from the Pirogov First Volunteer Mobile Hospital Soldiers suffering from shell-shock after duty on the front line smoke outside the emergency room Ukrainian military doctor and anaesthesiologist A nurse carries a stretcher past an ambulance which is carrying the body of a dead Ukrainian soldier Ukrainian soldiers ride on an armoured vehicle heading to the front line Smoke is seen after shelling strikes hit the east over Yampil Two bodies lie on the ground after a missile strike hit a residential area A Ukrainian soldier 'Jimmy' Slava who is recovering from an arm fracture An elderly civilian man who's feet had to be amputated is helped in a wheelchair by a paramedic Paramedics from the Pirogov First Volunteer Mobile Hospital wait to be called to an emergency An injured Ukrainian soldier smokes outside the emergency room Pohranychna poses for a portrait while on duty Pohranychna prepares her first aid bag close to the front line Murals are painted on the side of apartments blocks According to Ukrinform, StratCom said this in a Facebook post Commander of the DNR's 1st Army Corps (of the orcs) Major General Roman Kutuzov has been officially denazified and demilitarized," the statement said Earlier reports said that Russian Major General Roman Kutuzov was killed in battles near the town of Popasna in the Luhansk region That’s according to the head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration, Serhiy Haidai  “Positional battles continue in Rubizhne and Popasna non-stop Orcs are suffering significant losses,” Haidai wrote residential areas are under constant enemy fire six Russian attacks have been repulsed in eastern Ukraine and an anti-aircraft gun have been destroyed Haidai said that the Russians are adhering to their destructive tactics – wiping out the Ukrainian settlements civilians have suffered from Russian shelling 17 times as well as Lysychansk and the towns of the Hirske community were under massive fire The head of the Administration said that Russian troops were firing their heavy weapons on residential areas in Lysychansk while reports on casualties are being verified By Marco Hernandez and Josh HolderDec Share full article402402Russia is building a vast network of trenches traps and obstacles to slow Ukraine’s momentum This satellite image shows newly built Russian fortifications near one of the deadliest frontlines of the war in Ukraine You can see at least five defensive lines Russia has built to protect Popasna The fortifications are designed to funnel Ukrainian vehicles into a narrow road where they are vulnerable to artillery and missiles This is just a tiny part of an immense Russian defensive network spreading across Ukraine a Times analysis of satellite radar data shows These structures could buy Russia crucial time to mobilize and train additional troops to regain momentum in the war But Ukraine may test Russia’s ability to hold these positions over the winter Pits could stop tanks if they are deep enough These pyramid-shaped concrete structures serve as obstacles for vehicles they could be removed with bulldozers or demolished with explosives Trenches can be dug at a rate of up to a half mile per hour with Soviet BTM-3 trenchers Russian defensive fortifications built in November Defensive fortifications built since late October Sources: The Foreign Policy Research Institute The International Institute for Strategic Studies Institute for the Study of War with American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project the European Space Agency and OpenStreetMap Ukrainian forces struck one of Russian mercenary group Wagner’s bases in eastern Ukraine’s Luhansk region “The Armed Forces of Ukraine again successfully struck the enemy's headquarters…this time in Popasna, where a base of the Wagner PMC was destroyed yesterday. The number of those killed is being clarified,” Luhansk regional head Serhiy Haidai said Photos showing a group of soldiers carrying wounded servicemen out of a destroyed residential building first appeared on the Reverse Side of the Metal Telegram channel which is rumored to be linked to the private military contractor “We are taking the boys out of Popasnaya [headquarters] The joy of the khokhly is greatly exaggerated,” read the Telegram post’s caption using a derogatory Russian-language term for Ukrainians.   At least one person was killed and several others were wounded in the strike, according to the pro-Kremlin Telegram channel Operation Z.  The attack comes less than a week after pro-Kremlin war correspondent Sergei Sreda disclosed the location of the Wagner base in Popasna in a Telegram post.  Though Sreda said he published his post with the mercenary group’s permission, Kyiv likely used it to locate the headquarters in a five-story residential building and orchestrate the strike using a U.S.-supplied HIMARS rocket launcher, the U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty news outlet reported The Wagner Group is believed to be owned by Kremlin-linked catering magnate Yevgeny Prigozhin Its mercenaries are reported to have participated in military conflicts around the world including Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine this year Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help please support us monthly starting from just $2 and every contribution makes a significant impact independent journalism in the face of repression Ukrainian troops have withdrawn from the eastern Ukrainian city of Popasna The head of the Russian republic of Chechnya has said that his troops have taken control of most of Popasna He said that Ukrainian troops have withdrawn to occupy more fortified positions adding that everything in this area has been destroyed Russian forces began a new offensive push in April along much of Ukraine's eastern flank with some of the most intense attacks and shelling taking place recently around Popasna in the Luhansk region This site is controlled and managed by KOHA are protected by KOHA's copyright and KOHA retains the reserved rights for them Materials on this site may not be used for commercial purposes without the prior permission of KOHA is prohibited The use of materials from any website or other medium without the permission of the KOHA Group on behalf of all the units that make it up (Koha Ditore is a violation of copyright and of intellectual property according to the legal provisions in force All violators of these rights will face the law The translation of contents into other languages ​​is done automatically and there may be errors Annex of the former Radio Prishtina (first floor) George Bush pn To find out the main recruitment criteria for admittance into the Wager Group, authoritative Russian business news outlet RBC conducted its own investigation. Among the myriad requirements discovered by the RBC examination, two major factors should be highlighted (Rbc.ru holders of any foreign passport (except for European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization members as well as Ukraine) are fully eligible to join the group Any new candidate—without functioning profiles on any social network site—wishing to join the formation has to be at least 22 years old (significantly lower than the original entry age) and can be as old as 50 (much higher than the previous limit) For mature candidates (if they demonstrate excellent health indicators) to join Wagner an impressive military resume must be provided the standard compensation rate is 240,000 rubles ($3,840) per month mercenaries are eligible for additional performance-based compensation that reportedly ranges from 150,000 rubles ($2,400) to 700,000 rubles ($11,200) both the salary and extra compensation are provided in cash which sharply contrasts with previous “adventures” of the Wagner group is the new rule about criminal records: RBC (as well as other sources) stated that the eligibility to join Wagner with a criminal past is “decided on an individual basis based on results of the personal interview.” if a candidate complies with the aforementioned criteria he then needs to travel to the Molkino training ground (Krasnodar Krai) for so-called “filtration” procedures (which typically take between two and three days) the recruit is hired by Wagner and assigned a specialization (based on previously demonstrated skills and track record) and begins training unlike before (when exercises could last up to two months) after which a mercenary is then sent to Ukraine and Wagner recruiters will increase their search in economically depressed areas and regions with higher levels of criminality this confirms previously circulated information (considered rumors at the time) about the Wagner Group executing missions aimed at terrorizing local populations—not only in Ukraine but also in Syria—and to break local resistance two concluding observations should be emphasized the fact that the Wagner Group has significantly relaxed its rules pertaining to both recruitment and training demonstrates that the group—and Russian forces operating in Ukraine—are running out of personnel due to high casualty rates the employment of known criminals and convicts suggests that Russia will accentuate terror as a means to destroy local morale and break Ukrainians’ will to fight Second, the fact that Russia is increasingly reliant on the integration of convicts and criminals into various spheres of its economy—Moscow is already using convicts for Arctic-related projects—clearly draws on the Kremlin’s readiness to utilize certain Soviet practices in the realm of economics, as prisoner labor (lagernaya ekonomika) played a central role in the Soviet economy (Ria.ru this approach turned out to be a major factor in the eventual crumbling of the cumbersome and ineffective Soviet economy—and could produce the same result for the modern Russian economy ShareSaveThis article is more than 2 years old.Russian paratroopers in Popasna the Russian army on Thursday launched its latest offensive in Ukraine Popasna is the locus of Russian forces on the southern side of the Severodonetsk pocket an area under Ukrainian control that extends west from the city—pre-war population east and south by areas under Russian and separatist control The three or so Ukrainian brigades in and around Severodonetsk include thousands of troops They’ve dug in and blown bridges leading into the city Just one main road threads through the town of Bakhmut across the pocket to Severodonetsk It’s along this route that the main Ukrainian army pushes supplies to the city’s garrison The westward Russian thrust from Popasna might be aiming for Bakhmut The northern thrust could be attempting to complete the encirclement of Severodonetsk It’s fair to say the Kremlin has concentrated its best remaining forces along the Popasna axis for this offensive possibly reinforced by Chechen troops and mercenaries from the Wagner Group are fighting alongside armored units with the latest T-90 tanks and BMP-T fighting vehicles Inasmuch as the Russian army has suffered extensive casualties after attempting to roll across Ukraine along three fronts—northern eastern and southern—and ultimately abandoning the northern front the Battle of Severodonetsk might represent Moscow’s best opportunity for a near-term win A win that could allow Russian president Vladimir Putin to declare a sort of victory in Ukraine Even if that victory is modest compared to the Kremlin’s original goal of capturing Kyiv destroying the Ukrainian armed forces and cutting off Ukraine from the sea What happens over the next few days could be critical—and should set the conditions for the next few weeks of fighting If the Russians cut the road through Bakhmut and encircle Severodonetsk the ensuing urban fighting could be brutal for the Ukrainian garrison Barring a breakthrough by Ukrainian forces outside the pocket Severodonetsk’s fall might be only a matter of time under those circumstances Kyiv could lose several thousand troops and a key strongpoint in Donbas they could end up expending their last reserves of combat strength trying to starve a small portion of the Ukrainian army in one small city The Russian offensive already is partially compromised The original plan apparently was to attack from the north and south Russian battalions needed to erect pontoon bridges across the Seversky Donets River The situation is fluid. As recently as Wednesday, the Ukrainian armed forces’ general staff noted Russian attacks from Popasna but insisted the Russians “had no success.” But the main assault apparently began on Thursday. 20229:23 PM UTCRussian invasion leaves trail of destruction across UkraineApartment blocks have been reduced to rubble and millions of people have been displaced in Ukraine during the Russian invasion [1/21]A view shows a residential building destroyed during the Ukraine-Russia conflict in the town of Popasna in the Luhansk Region [2/21]A local resident walks near a building heavily damaged during the Ukraine-Russia conflict in the southern port city of Mariupol [3/21]Ammunition holes are seen at a local church gate in Mala Rohan [5/21]Russian service members work on demining the territory of Azovstal steel plant in the southern port city of Mariupol [6/21]Tamara Vrazovskaya gestures as she picks up flowers next to a Russian destroyed tank in Mala Rohan [8/21]A building is reflected in a shop window in a residential area after shelling with cluster ammunition in Kharkiv [9/21]A view of damages on a building's roof after shelling at a residential area in Kharkiv [10/21]A damaged car is seen in the shelled Severnaya Saltyvka residential area in Kharkiv [11/21]A man walks inside the destroyed Vilkhivka school in Vilkhivka [12/21]Rescuers work at the site of an industrial building damaged by a Russian military strike in the town of Bakhmut [13/21]A local resident walks past an industrial building damaged by a Russian military strike in the town of Bakhmut [14/21]Service members of pro-Russian troops drive a tank along a street past a destroyed residential building during Ukraine-Russia conflict in the town of Popasna in the Luhansk Region [15/21]A burned bedroom is seen in the shelled Severnaya Saltyvka residential area in Kharkiv [16/21]A children's bike is seen in front of an apartment building damaged during the Ukraine-Russia conflict in the town of Popasna in the Luhansk Region [17/21]A local resident inspects a flat in the shelled Severnaya Saltyvka residential area as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues [18/21]Ukrainian and Russian ammunition containers are seen inside of the destroyed Vilkhivka school's gym in Vilkhivka [19/21]An abandoned building damaged in a missile strike is seen in the city of Kramatorsk [20/21]A local resident walks in front of the destroyed Vilkhivka school in Vilkhivka [21/21]A local resident sits in a courtyard near a block of flats heavily damaged during the Ukraine-Russia conflict in the southern port city of Mariupol © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved Serhiy Haidai, the head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration, said this in a Telegram post "Rubizhne and Popasna are under the greatest threat Because they simply will not break through Zolote because our line of defense is very strong there They have been shelling it from morning till night for almost two months and they still can't make a breakthrough there they have accumulated enough heavy military equipment and personnel there and that is where the main direction will be,” Haidai Haidai earlier stated that Russian invaders captured the city of Kreminna Luhansk region is constantly under attack by Russian forces educational institutions have been destroyed in the region All region’s hospitals have been damaged Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the beginning of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine Russian troops have been shelling and destroying key infrastructure facilities conducting massive shelling of residential areas of Ukrainian cities and villages using artillery multiple rocket launchers and ballistic missiles The Ukrainian military launched a missile attack on the base of Wagner PMC mercenaries Russian propaganda telegram channels were the first to report this informing that the Armed Forces of Ukraine allegedly used the HIMARS MLRS to attack Popasna (Luhansk region) information also appeared that the Russian oligarch and the creator of the Wagner PMC but propagandists do not confirm this information it is interesting that he has not been seen since leaving on a business trip Ukrainian blogger Denis Kazansky drew attention to the fact that a few days before the strike another Russian “war correspondent” visited the site took a number of photos there and posted them on his Telegram channel he revealed the location of the Wagner base which allowed the Armed Forces to deliver an accurate strike The number of casualties among the mercenaries is not reported but eyewitnesses report that the dead and wounded continue to be pulled out from under the rubble Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.