The Wagner Group is preparing to refocus its efforts in Africa and away from Ukraine amid a long-running dispute with Moscow, it has been reported.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the mercenary group, has repeatedly accused Russia’s defence ministry of stymying his supply of ammunition and manpower. Western analysts believe
Sergei Shoigu, Russia's defence minister, is trying to stifle Prigozhin's growing political influence.
Wagner mercenaries have spearheaded Moscow's eight-month attempt to capture the besieged city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. Prigozhin's private military has lost tens of thousands of men, mostly former convicts recruited out of Russian prisons, during the assault – the longest and costliest battle of the war.
Marred by the
failure to capture Bakhmut, Prigozhin is planning to shift focus back to Africa, the Bloomberg news agency reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
The suggestion will likely prompt concerns in Moscow after a top Ukrainian general said Kyiv's armed forces were ready to launch a counter-offensive on Bakhmut.