Moscow’s fighting position in the war in Ukraine will not be affected by the loss of troops belonging to the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, according to a senior Russian defense official.
Wagner’s forces were crucial to Moscow’s advance on Kyiv before the group staged an attempted coup at the end of last month, damaging relations with the Kremlin’s top military without reconciliation.
The failed rebellion drove Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin into exile in Belarus and the militia group said it had suspended recruitment while it moved out of the country.
Members of the Wagner group look on from a military vehicle in Rostov-on-Don late on June 24, 2023.
Roman Romokhov AFP | Getty Images
Elsewhere, a new center for prosecuting aggression in Ukraine will open on Monday, strengthening the capabilities of the Dutch-based International Criminal Court, which is limited in its mandate to prosecute crimes of aggression.
The ICC already has open warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and a top aide for the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children. More than 700,000 Ukrainian minors have been brought across the Russian border in recent years, a senior Russian official said over the weekend, reiterating the Kremlin’s insistence that it offers these children refuge.
As further evidence of solidarity with Ukraine, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez paid a visit to Kyiv on July 1 — the first day of his country’s assumption of the rotational presidency of the EU Council.
