Tension over sub-contract killers
THE Kremlin’s “sub-contracting of mass violence” in Ukraine is set to rage this year while tensions could erupt between Wagner chiefs and Moscow’s military bosses, western officials claim.
Losses on both sides are leading to an arms race as the war’s one-year anniversary looms.
Western officials say Ukraine has out-fought Moscow’s forces who have made few gains. Even a small victory by the Wagner Group came after thousands of casualties among its convict recruits.
One Western official said: “Ukraine has pulled back from a small town of Soledar – the first settlement Russia has gained since early July. However it’s a somewhat pyrrhic victory, with several thousand casualties to secure a ruined town of 500 inhabitants. It’s a side show of a side show and it’s highly
likely that the relative success of the Wagner Group offensive has been enabled by mass deployment of convicts.
“It’s unclear whether this recruiting will continue and, along with the extraordinary expansion of the Group, this has raised questions about the nature of the Russian state and its willingness to sub-contract out mass violence.”
The West also believes Wagner Group’s commander-in-chief’s jibes at Moscow’s regular army chiefs have heightened tension. The official said: “It’s hard to imagine this tension won’t come to a head.”
Even though Russia’s war machine is better equipped it has suffered huge losses. The official added: “The race is on to see who can maintain supply of weapons.”
Tension is growing between western powers over whether to supply fast jets to Ukraine.
France has not excluded sending fighter jets but US President Joe Biden said “no” to sending F-16s.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak believes it is “not practical” to provide British fighter jets.
Downing Street said training Ukraine forces on “extremely sophisticated” Typhoons and F-35s would take too long.