Wagner will not have any combat effectiveness without heavy equipment - British intel

31.07.2023 00:33

Ukrinform

The terrorist Wagner private military company will not have any combat effectiveness without the heavy military equipment and weapons used by its fighters in Russia's war against Ukraine.

The UK Defense Ministry said this in an intelligence update published on Twitter, Ukrinform reports.

British intelligence said that since mid-July 2023, at least several thousand Wagner troops have likely established themselves at a military camp at Tsel, in central Belarus.

"Approximately 300 tents and 200 vehicles were identified in Tsel, Belarus. […] Imagery shows that since mid-July 2023, hundreds of vehicles have arrived at the previously mostly empty facility," the update reads.

However, separate reports suggest most of the visible vehicles are trucks and minibuses with few armored combat vehicles.

British intelligence says it remains unclear what has happened to the heavy equipment Wagner used in Ukraine. There is a realistic possibility that it was forced to return these to the Russian military.

"Wagner's ability to secure heavy equipment and enablers such as air transport will be key factors in its future combat effectiveness," the UK Defense Ministry said.