NATO official: russia can engage 1000 Wagner group operatives in combats in eastern Ukraine

Russia uses mercenaries of the private military company, the Wagner group, and can engage over 1000 of these mercenaries in eastern Ukraine. A high-ranking NATO official said at the briefing, as was informed by Radio Liberty.“We have already seen russian private military company, the Wagner group, operating in eastern Ukraine, and we expect that they will send over a thousand mercenaries, including high ranking members of the organization, to execute combat operations. It is highly probable that this will be carried out at the expense of operations held at other places, like Africa or Syria,” assumed the interlocutor of the reporters.He added that while moscow engages mercenaries (among other, foreigners) to make up for losses, it is not clear now whether these groups will be integrated in russian units located in Ukraine and how it will effect their combat capacity.Speaking generally about the situation in Ukraine, the official voiced the idea that volodymyr putin “made grave miscalculations”.“Russia seems to be willing to demonstrate considerable achievements for festivities devoted to the Victory Day on 9 May. And it may have an impact on how quickly and under what pressure they will try to execute their operations closer to this day,” added he.The Alliance representative also indicated logistic difficulties of the russian army, and also the lack of the impulse to advance and low morale.According to NATO, now russia has over 80 battalion tactical groups in Ukraine. Current russia’s actions in Donbas, where russian troops are trying to advance in the direction of Kramatorsk, speak of the coming more aggressive operations.According to British intelligence, russia has sent a thousand mercenaries of the primate military company, the Wagner group, to Ukraine.On 20 April, it became known that the soldiers of the 24th Mechanized Brigade named after King Danylo destroyed the Wagner operatives near Popasna.