According to the United States, an associate of the President of the Russian Federation and the founder of the PMC "Wagner" Yevheniy Pryhozhyn wants to control the salt and gypsum mines near Bakhmut in Donetsk region.
This is reported by Reuters with reference to an official from the White House.
According to him, there are signs that the "obsession" of Russia and Pryhozhyn himself with Bakhmut is due to monetary motives.
Previously, the United States accused Russian mercenaries of exploiting natural resources in the Central African Republic, Mali, Sudan and other countries. Russia rejected these accusations as "anti-Russian".
According to an American official, the PMC "Wagner" currently has approximately 50 000 mercenaries. More than 4 100 of them have already been killed and 10 000 wounded. More than a thousand mercenaries were eliminated in the period from the end of November to the beginning of December near Bakhmut.
- The Russian PMC "Wagner" takes an active part in the war against Ukraine and is involved not only in battles, but also in the construction of defense fortifications in the occupied territories. Also, the "Wagnerians" are probably responsible for a number of executions of video prisoners and war crimes.
- In November, EU deputies proposed to recognize the PMC "Wagner" as a terrorist organization. A corresponding draft law is also being considered in the USA. In December, the U.S. State Department added the PMC "Wagner" to the list of organizations of "special concern".
- At the end of December, the White House announced that the PMC "Wagner" received a shipment of weapons from North Korea.