(Washington) The White House issued a serious warning Thursday against the rise of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, according to it “rival” of the Russian regular army in Ukraine, and which now receives armament from North Korea .
“North Korea made a first delivery to Wagner, who paid for this equipment. Last month (it) delivered shells and missiles to Russia for Wagner,” said John Kirby, spokesman for the US Executive National Security Council.
The United States believes that Pyongyang is “considering delivering more equipment”, he said in an interview with reporters.
The spokesman also estimated that at present Wagner had 50,000 troops deployed in Ukraine, including 10,000 mercenaries and 40,000 recruited from Russian prisons.
Washington, which has already taken sanctions against this organization of mercenaries present in several theaters of conflict in the world, will take additional measures “in the coming weeks”, indicated John Kirby.
PHOTO SERGEI ILNITSKY, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Yevgeny Prigozhin
“It is obvious to us that Wagner is on the way to becoming a rival power to the regular Russian army and other Russian ministries,” the spokesman said, assuring that the group’s leader’s influence in the Kremlin , Yevgeny Prigojine, was “increasing”.
“For months, the Russian army has relied on Wagner to lead the fight in certain areas of Donbass (eastern Ukraine) and in some cases, Russian officers are actually subject to Wagner’s orders”, detailed John Kirby .
He assured that Wagner’s “ill-equipped and badly trained” forces suffered “heavy losses” on the battlefield.
Yevgeny Prigojine, who has “no consideration for human life”, “sends Russian men to the butchery in Bakhmout”, a town on the front where the fighting is raging, declared John Kirby.
“He seems to be much more interested in his influence in the Kremlin than in the men he recruits to fight in Ukraine. All that matters to him is to look good with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin,” he said.