Belarus could be funding Wagner Group instead of Kremlin, says UK defence ministry
From CNN's Duarte Mendonca
Wagner fighters pose for a picture as they get deployed near the headquarters of the Southern Military District in the city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on June 24. Stringer/Reuters
The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) said in a statement there was a "realistic possibility" that Russia no longer funds the activities of the mercenary Wagner Group.
In a series of tweets on the social platform “X”, formerly known as Twitter, the defence ministry said that the Russian state “acted against some other business interests of Wagner owner Yevgeny Prigozhin” after he led a failed mutiny against the Russian army's top brass in June 2023.
"If the Russian state no longer pays Wagner, the second most plausible paymasters are the Belarusian authorities," the British Defence Ministry said.
“However, the sizable force would be a significant and potentially unwelcome drain on modest Belarusian resources," the UK MOD added.
The defence ministry went on to suggest that as a consequence, the Wagner Group would likely move towards “a down-sizing and reconfiguration process, largely to save on staff salary expenses at a time of financial pressure.”
Some context: The Wagner group's short-lived rebellion presented the biggest challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin in over two decades of rule.
Under a deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Wagner fighters have since relocated to Belarus where their presence has alarmed neighboring Poland.
1 dead, 6 wounded in Donetsk region shelling, Russian-installed head says
From CNN's Mariya Knight
One civilian was killed and six were wounded as a result of shelling on various areas of the Donetsk region Saturday, according to Denis Pushilin, the Russian-installed head of occupied Donetsk.
“One civilian was killed in the Petrovsky district of Donetsk. Six people were wounded in Makiivka, the Petrovsky district of Donetsk and Svitlodarsk, including a twelve-year-old girl,” Pushilin said in a Telegram post.
According to Pushilin, Ukraine inflicted strikes on the Petrovsky, Kirovsky, Kuibyshevsky and Kyivsky districts of the city of Donetsk, as well as the cities of Svitlodarsk, Makiivka and Yasynuvata.
Additionally, six residential buildings and one civilian infrastructure facility were damaged in the Kuibyshevsky and Petrovsky districts of the city of Donetsk, Pushilin said.
On Wednesday, Ukraine claimed "partial success" in the village of Urozhaine, near where Russians made "unsuccessful attempts" to regain lost ground, in the Donetsk region, according to Ukrainian officials.
1 hr 16 min ago
Analysis: European leaders welcomed China at Ukraine peace talks but remain wary of Beijing's ties with Moscow
Analysis from CNN's Luke McGee
Representatives from more than 40 countries attend talks in Jeddah on August 6. Saudi Press Agency/Reuters
European officials took some small comfort when China attended a summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last weekend. The meeting aimed to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine.
While Beijing didn’t budge from its stated position of impartiality, China’s mere presence at a meeting to which Russia says it was not invited has, some sources claim, sent a message to the international community that it’s not willing openly to pick Russia’s side against the West.
It might be a very small victory, but in the diplomatic world of zero-sum games, Russian President Vladimir Putin not getting exactly what he wants is something to celebrate.
“We never expected China to move fully to the Western position, but supporting this meeting will be a major disappointment to Russia,” a senior EU official told CNN.
“From our point of view, China is visibly engaging with the West, talking to the Ukrainians, and pushing back on Russia. We really welcome that,” the official said. Multiple European sources have echoed this view.
However, while China’s engagement with the international community might be a blow for Russia, it’s still being viewed with suspicion by Western allies, not least because of the continued economic, diplomatic and security ties the countries share.
Russia says it intercepted a Ukrainian drone over the border region of Belgorod
From CNN’s Mariya Knight
Russian defenses intercepted a Ukrainian drone over the western border region of Belgorod on Saturday, Russia's defense ministry said.
The attempted attack happened around 5:30 p.m. local time (10:30 a.m. ET), but it was "foiled," the ministry said in a post on Telegram. Nothing was damaged in the incident and no one was wounded or killed, the post added.
The defense ministry did not name a potential target of the attack, saying simply that it was an assault on "facilities on the territory of the Russian Federation."
A string of drone strikes has peppered Russian cities, including the capital of Moscow, throughout the summer. Belgorod and other western border regions are also frequent targets.
CNN's Rob Picheta contributed to this report.
1 hr 20 min ago
Ukraine’s military reports "partial success" near hard-fought frontline village in the south
From CNN's Olga Voitovych in Kyiv and Mariya Knight in Atlanta
Ukraine claimed "partial success" near the village of Robotyne along the southern Zaporizhzhia front after weeks of fighting in the area, as Russia continues offensive efforts near Kupiansk in the northeastern Kharkiv region that borders Russia.
Ukraine’s drive to push down to the Sea of Azov and through to the Melitopol and Berdiansk areas continues, with fierce fighting along the front lines in that southern direction, officials say.
On Friday, social media video and images showed Ukrainian troops had entered Robotyne — a location that has seen heavy battles for several weeks. According to the Institute for the Study of War, even marginal gains by Ukraine in this area are significant.
In the Donetsk region: Meanwhile, Russians made "unsuccessful attempts" to regain lost ground near the village of Urozhaine in the eastern Donetsk region, the Ukrainian military's General Staff said. On Thursday, Ukraine also claimed “partial success” in gaining positions in the area near the recently retaken village of Staromaiorske.
Russian forces are trying to “escalate and take over the initiative” in the east in an effort to “pull” Ukrainian troops from other areas of the front lines, according to a regional military official.
In the Kharkiv region: In the Lyman-Kupiansk direction in the northeastern Kharkiv region, “the enemy is trying escalate and take over the initiative at this direction and attacking our positions,” said Serhii Cherevatyi, the deputy commander of strategic communications for the eastern military grouping.
Russian forces attempted offensives near Kupiansk, which were repelled in a number of settlements in the area, according to the daily update from the General Staff.
With the upcoming anniversary of Ukraine's September 2022 lightning offensive, Cherevatyi said on national television Saturday that Russian forces are looking to make gains there and “want to pull our forces and resources away from the Bakhmut area at all costs.” Ukraine has bolstered its defensive positions since last fall, according to the spokesperson.
Remember: A mandatory evacuation was ordered for Kupiansk and surrounding areas as Russia intensified shelling of the area and claimed to have captured some Ukrainian positions near the northeastern city that lies close to the Russian border. Kupiansk fell to Moscow’s forces within the first week of their invasion in February last year, but was then taken back last September.
The UK says that Belarus may be funding the Wagner group instead of Russia. Wagner fighters are in Belarus after mounting a short-lived rebellion in Russia in June.
Russia said it intercepted a Ukrainian drone over the western border region of Belgorod. Ukraine has been stepping up its drone attacks, with Kyiv warning more will follow.
Ukraine’s military has reported "partial success" near a frontline village in the southern Zaporizhzhia front. Social media posts showed its troops entering the village of Robotyne. Analysts say even marginal gains in the area are significant.
Wagner fighters pose for a picture as they get deployed near the headquarters of the Southern Military District in the city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on June 24. Stringer/Reuters
The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) said in a statement there was a "realistic possibility" that Russia no longer funds the activities of the mercenary Wagner Group.
In a series of tweets on the social platform “X”, formerly known as Twitter, the defence ministry said that the Russian state “acted against some other business interests of Wagner owner Yevgeny Prigozhin” after he led a failed mutiny against the Russian army's top brass in June 2023.
"If the Russian state no longer pays Wagner, the second most plausible paymasters are the Belarusian authorities," the British Defence Ministry said.
“However, the sizable force would be a significant and potentially unwelcome drain on modest Belarusian resources," the UK MOD added.
The defence ministry went on to suggest that as a consequence, the Wagner Group would likely move towards “a down-sizing and reconfiguration process, largely to save on staff salary expenses at a time of financial pressure.”
Some context: The Wagner group's short-lived rebellion presented the biggest challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin in over two decades of rule.
Under a deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Wagner fighters have since relocated to Belarus where their presence has alarmed neighboring Poland.
One civilian was killed and six were wounded as a result of shelling on various areas of the Donetsk region Saturday, according to Denis Pushilin, the Russian-installed head of occupied Donetsk.
“One civilian was killed in the Petrovsky district of Donetsk. Six people were wounded in Makiivka, the Petrovsky district of Donetsk and Svitlodarsk, including a twelve-year-old girl,” Pushilin said in a Telegram post.
According to Pushilin, Ukraine inflicted strikes on the Petrovsky, Kirovsky, Kuibyshevsky and Kyivsky districts of the city of Donetsk, as well as the cities of Svitlodarsk, Makiivka and Yasynuvata.
Additionally, six residential buildings and one civilian infrastructure facility were damaged in the Kuibyshevsky and Petrovsky districts of the city of Donetsk, Pushilin said.
On Wednesday, Ukraine claimed "partial success" in the village of Urozhaine, near where Russians made "unsuccessful attempts" to regain lost ground, in the Donetsk region, according to Ukrainian officials.
Representatives from more than 40 countries attend talks in Jeddah on August 6. Saudi Press Agency/Reuters
European officials took some small comfort when China attended a summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last weekend. The meeting aimed to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine.
While Beijing didn’t budge from its stated position of impartiality, China’s mere presence at a meeting to which Russia says it was not invited has, some sources claim, sent a message to the international community that it’s not willing openly to pick Russia’s side against the West.
It might be a very small victory, but in the diplomatic world of zero-sum games, Russian President Vladimir Putin not getting exactly what he wants is something to celebrate.
“We never expected China to move fully to the Western position, but supporting this meeting will be a major disappointment to Russia,” a senior EU official told CNN.
“From our point of view, China is visibly engaging with the West, talking to the Ukrainians, and pushing back on Russia. We really welcome that,” the official said. Multiple European sources have echoed this view.
However, while China’s engagement with the international community might be a blow for Russia, it’s still being viewed with suspicion by Western allies, not least because of the continued economic, diplomatic and security ties the countries share.
Russian defenses intercepted a Ukrainian drone over the western border region of Belgorod on Saturday, Russia's defense ministry said.
The attempted attack happened around 5:30 p.m. local time (10:30 a.m. ET), but it was "foiled," the ministry said in a post on Telegram. Nothing was damaged in the incident and no one was wounded or killed, the post added.
The defense ministry did not name a potential target of the attack, saying simply that it was an assault on "facilities on the territory of the Russian Federation."
A string of drone strikes has peppered Russian cities, including the capital of Moscow, throughout the summer. Belgorod and other western border regions are also frequent targets.
CNN's Rob Picheta contributed to this report.
Ukraine claimed "partial success" near the village of Robotyne along the southern Zaporizhzhia front after weeks of fighting in the area, as Russia continues offensive efforts near Kupiansk in the northeastern Kharkiv region that borders Russia.
Ukraine’s drive to push down to the Sea of Azov and through to the Melitopol and Berdiansk areas continues, with fierce fighting along the front lines in that southern direction, officials say.
On Friday, social media video and images showed Ukrainian troops had entered Robotyne — a location that has seen heavy battles for several weeks. According to the Institute for the Study of War, even marginal gains by Ukraine in this area are significant.
In the Donetsk region: Meanwhile, Russians made "unsuccessful attempts" to regain lost ground near the village of Urozhaine in the eastern Donetsk region, the Ukrainian military's General Staff said. On Thursday, Ukraine also claimed “partial success” in gaining positions in the area near the recently retaken village of Staromaiorske.
Russian forces are trying to “escalate and take over the initiative” in the east in an effort to “pull” Ukrainian troops from other areas of the front lines, according to a regional military official.
In the Kharkiv region: In the Lyman-Kupiansk direction in the northeastern Kharkiv region, “the enemy is trying escalate and take over the initiative at this direction and attacking our positions,” said Serhii Cherevatyi, the deputy commander of strategic communications for the eastern military grouping.
Russian forces attempted offensives near Kupiansk, which were repelled in a number of settlements in the area, according to the daily update from the General Staff.
With the upcoming anniversary of Ukraine's September 2022 lightning offensive, Cherevatyi said on national television Saturday that Russian forces are looking to make gains there and “want to pull our forces and resources away from the Bakhmut area at all costs.” Ukraine has bolstered its defensive positions since last fall, according to the spokesperson.
Remember: A mandatory evacuation was ordered for Kupiansk and surrounding areas as Russia intensified shelling of the area and claimed to have captured some Ukrainian positions near the northeastern city that lies close to the Russian border. Kupiansk fell to Moscow’s forces within the first week of their invasion in February last year, but was then taken back last September.
