WESTERN PERSPECTIVE
NATO warns that Russian forces should not be underestimated and increases its readiness
NATO’s chief said Tuesday that the power of Russia’s military shouldn't be underestimated following the weekend mutiny against it by Wagner Group mercenaries, and said the alliance has increased its readiness to confront Russia in recent days.
Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance may decide to further boost its strength and readiness to face Russia and its ally Belarus when NATO leaders meet in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius on July 11-12.
”So, no misunderstanding and no room for misunderstanding in Moscow or Minsk about our ability to defend our allies against any potential threat," Stoltenberg said.
At a meeting in The Hague of eight NATO leaders, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said that neighboring countries would face a heightened danger if the Wagner Group deploys its "serial killers” in Belarus.
Stoltenberg said it was still too early to draw any conclusions about what Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and some of his forces might do or whether they all might end up in Belarus.
The leaders agreed that, given the short-lived revolt by Wagner fighters in Russia over the weekend, that the allies should continue to bolster their forces along NATO’s eastern flank to discourage Russian President Vladimir Putin from attempting to widen his war.
NATO responded to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 by deploying multinational battle groups in Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. They complement another four deployed in 2017 in the three Baltic states and Poland, to expand NATO’s presence from the Baltics to the Black Sea. On Monday, Germany said that it stands ready to permanently base forces in Lithuania, if needed.
Rutte and Stoltenberg met with the presidents of Romania and Poland and leaders of Belgium, Norway, Albania and Lithuania at the Dutch leader's official residence in a leafy suburb of The Hague.
Earlier Tuesday, Russian authorities said they had closed a criminal investigation into the aborted armed rebellion led by Prigozhin and are pressing no charges against him or his troops.
The mutiny by Wagner Group forces lasted less than 24 hours, but formed the latest twist in a series of events that have brought the gravest threat to Putin’s grip on power in the 16-month-old war in Ukraine.
The war led Sweden and Finland to seek to join NATO. Finland has already become the alliance's latest member, but Sweden's membership is being held up by Turkey.
On Monday, Stoltenberg said he will call an urgent meeting in the coming days to try to overcome Turkish objections to Sweden joining the military organization in a last-ditch effort to have the Nordic country standing alongside the allies at the July summit in Lithuania.
NATO requires the unanimous approval of all members to expand. Turkey accuses Sweden of being too lenient toward groups that Ankara says pose a security threat, including militant Kurdish groups and people associated with a 2016 coup attempt.
** East Europe NATO allies say Wagner troops in Belarus spell trouble
Eastern European NATO countries on Tuesday warned that a move of Wagner's Russian mercenary troops to Belarus would create greater regional instability, but NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance is ready to defend itself against any threat.
"If Wagner deploys its serial killers in Belarus, all neighbouring countries face even bigger danger of instability," Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said after a meeting in The Hague with Stoltenberg and government leaders from six other NATO allies.
"This is really serious and very concerning, and we have to make very strong decisions. It requires a very, very tough answer of NATO," Polish President Andrzej Duda added.
Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin arrived in Belarus on Tuesday under a deal negotiated by President Alexander Lukashenko that ended the mercenaries' mutiny in Russia on Saturday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wagner's fighters would be offered the choice of relocating there.
NATO's Stoltenberg said it was too early to say what this could mean for NATO allies, and stressed the increased defence of the alliance's eastern flank in recent years.
"We have sent a clear message to Moscow and Minsk that NATO is there to protect every ally, every inch of NATO territory," Stoltenberg said.
"We have already increased our military presence in the eastern part of the alliance and we will make further decisions to further strengthen our collective defence with more high-readiness forces and more capabilities at the upcoming summit."
Stoltenberg said the mutiny had shown that Putin's "illegal war" against Ukraine had deepened divisions in Russia.
"At the same time we must not underestimate Russia. So it's even more important that we continue to provide Ukraine with our support."
Poland's Duda said he hoped the threat posed by Wagner forces would be on the agenda at a summit of all 31 NATO members in Vilnius, Lithuania, July 11-12.
RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE
Putin says Wagner group fully financed by Russian government
The Russian government fully ensured the financing of the Wagner Private Military Company (PMC), President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with the Defense Ministry’s military personnel.
"I want to note and I want everyone to know that the financing of the entire Wagner group was fully ensured by the state," he said. "We fully financed this group from the Defense Ministry, from the state budget," Putin added.
From May 2022 to May 2023, the state alone allocated 86.2 bln rubles ($1 bln) to PMC Wagner in the form of salary to fighters and incentive rewards, the president noted. "Of that amount, remuneration equaled 70.38 bln [rubles], incentive rewards amounted to 15.87 bln [rubles], insurance payments totaled 110.17 bln [rubles]," he said.
Meanwhile, Wagner’s owner, the Concord company, received 80 bln rubles ($940 mln) from the state in one year for supplying food and providing food services to the army, Putin added. "The state fully ensured the financing [of Wagner], whereas a portion of that group, this Concord company, earned 80 bln rubles during the same period," he said. "Hopefully, nobody stole anything during these activities or, let’s say, stole less," he noted. "We will obviously look into all this," the president stressed.
** Russian forces repel seven Ukrainian attacks in Donetsk area over past day — top brass
Russian forces successfully repelled seven Ukrainian attacks in their active defense in the Donetsk area over the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Tuesday.
"In the Donetsk direction, units of the southern battlegroup successfully repelled seven enemy attacks in their active defense. Operational/tactical and army aircraft, artillery and heavy flamethrower systems destroyed as many as 325 Ukrainian personnel, a tank, three infantry fighting vehicles and five motor vehicles," the spokesman said.
In the area of the settlement of Avdeyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army’s 110th mechanized brigade was obliterated, the general reported.
Ukraine’s military continues offensive attempts in three directions
Ukrainian troops continue attempts to attack in three directions, Konashenkov reported.
"During the last 24-hour period, Ukrainian troops continued attempts to advance in the Krasny Liman, Donetsk and south Donetsk directions," the spokesman said.
Russian forces destroy Ukrainian ammo depot in Kupyansk area
Russian forces destroyed a Ukrainian ammunition depot and over 30 enemy troops in the Kupyansk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"Near the settlement of Ogurtsovo in the Kharkov Region, an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army’s 60th mechanized brigade was destroyed," the spokesman said.
In the Kupyansk direction, aircraft and artillery of Russia’s battlegroup West struck the enemy units in areas near the settlements of Krasnoye Pervoye, Sinkovka and Berestovoye in the Kharkov Region, Novosyolovskoye and Stelmakhovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic, the general specified.
"The enemy’s total losses in the past 24 hours amounted to over 30 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles, two motor vehicles, a D-20 howitzer and a US-made AN/TPQ-36 counter-battery radar station," he said.
Russian forces eliminate over 100 Ukrainian troops in Krasny Liman area
Russian forces repulsed two Ukrainian attacks and eliminated over 100 enemy troops in the Krasny Liman area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Krasny Liman direction, two enemy attacks were successfully repulsed by skilled and coordinated actions of units from the battlegroup Center. Air strikes and artillery fire inflicted damage on units of the Ukrainian army’s 63rd and 67th mechanized brigades near the settlements of Chervonaya Dibrova and Chervonopopovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic and Serebryanka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. Also, the activity of two subversive and reconnaissance groups was thwarted near the settlement of Chervonaya Dibrova in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.
Russian forces destroyed over 100 Ukrainian personnel, four armored combat vehicles, three pickup trucks, a D-20 howitzer and a D-30 howitzer and two Gvozdika motorized artillery systems in that direction in the past 24 hours, the general reported.
Russian forces repel three Ukrainian attacks at Vremevka bulge in past day
Russian forces repelled three Ukrainian attacks at the Vremevka bulge in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"At the Vremevka bulge in the south Donetsk direction, three enemy attacks were repelled by courageous and coordinated actions of units from the battlegroup East, air strikes, artillery and heavy flamethrower fires," the spokesman said.
Russian forces wipe out Ukrainian command post in DPR
Russian forces destroyed a Ukrainian command post in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the area of the settlement of Avdeyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, a signal center of the Ukrainian army’s 110th mechanized brigade was destroyed. Near the settlement of Viyemka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, a command post of the Ukrainian army’s 10th mountain assault brigade was eliminated," the spokesman said.
Russian forces destroy 115 Ukrainian troops, US-made Bradley vehicle in south Donetsk area
Russian forces destroyed roughly 115 Ukrainian troops and a US-made Bradley infantry combat vehicle in the south Donetsk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"The enemy’s total losses amounted to 115 Ukrainian personnel, five armored combat vehicles, including a Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, three pickup trucks, a Msta-B howitzer and a D-20 howitzer," the spokesman said.
The activity of a Ukrainian subversive group was thwarted near the settlement of Rabotino in the Zaporozhye Region, the general reported.
Russian forces push back Ukrainian troops near Orekhov in Zaporozhye area
Russian forces pushed Ukrainian troops back to their positions near Orekhov in the Zaporozhye area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Orekhov tactical direction, Russian forces halted and pushed back a Ukrainian motorized infantry platoon conducting reconnaissance by fire as a result of damage inflicted on the enemy by firepower," the spokesman said.
Russian forces destroy 30 Ukrainian troops in Kherson area
Russian forces destroyed roughly 30 Ukrainian troops and a motorized artillery system in the Kherson area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Kherson direction, as many as 30 Ukrainian personnel, three motor vehicles and an Akatsiya motorized artillery system were destroyed in the past 24 hours as a result of damage inflicted on the enemy by firepower," the spokesman said.
During the last 24-hour period, operational/tactical and army aircraft, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groupings of forces struck 89 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and military equipment in 112 areas, the general reported.
Russian air defenses intercept two US-made HIMARS rockets
Russian air defense forces intercepted two rockets of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and shot down six Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the past day, he said.
"Air defense capabilities intercepted two rockets of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system. In addition, they destroyed six Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the past 24 hours in areas near the settlements of Belogorovka and Verkhnekamenka in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Mirnoye and Pshenichnoye in the Zaporozhye Region," the spokesman said.
In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 444 Ukrainian warplanes, 240 helicopters, 4,804 unmanned aerial vehicles, 426 surface-to-air missile systems, 10,371 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,131 multiple rocket launchers, 5,246 field artillery guns and mortars and 11,213 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.
LA Times/Reuters/Tass