30,000 Wagner’s soldiers killed since the beginning of war, claims Washington

According to Washington DC, 90% of the “Wagner” soldiers who have been killed in Ukraine since December are prisoners, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby stated during a routine briefing.

The US official claimed that the information is correct; half of the fatalities have been recorded since the conflict in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut started in mid-December.

From the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the private military corporation (PMC) Wagner has reported more than 30,000 casualties, with over 9,000 of those troops dying in warfare.

Kirby added that the Ukrainian defence in Donbas would still be strong despite such a development. “They may end up taking Bakhmut, but it will have no real value for them because the city has little strategic importance.

Despite recent claims by the company’s founder Yevgeny Prigozhin that he has ceased recruiting prisoners to fight in Ukraine, Kirby informed reporters that Wagner continues to rely largely on prisoners sent to battle unprepared and unequipped.

On the other hand, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the commander of PMC “Wagner” and also known as “Putin’s chef,” claims that his troops gained total control over the settlement of Paraskovievka, which is situated north of Bakhmut.

If Russia or PMC Wagner takes control of the nearby villages of Verkhovka, Berkhovka, and Yagodnoe, it will cut off supplies from the north to the Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut.

By claiming that the offensive had been successful despite the “munitions blockade,” Prigozhin used the news to criticise the Russian Military Ministry.

According to DPA, PMC “Wagner,” which also employs inmates, has recently come under fire for the lack of ammunition it receives from the military.

All residents of Bakhmut were ordered to leave their homes by the Ukrainian government yesterday because violent fighting over the town is anticipated to continue.