According to reports, Ukrainian artillery has attacked the headquarters of Russia’s clandestine Wagner paramilitary outfit in eastern Ukraine.
Serhiy Hayday, the Ukrainian governor of the Luhansk region, and many pro-Kremlin war correspondents reported the attack in Popasna.
The number of casualties is unknown, and data are scant. On the Telegram chat app, images allegedly showing the damage were released.
War crimes have been associated with Wagner.
The squad was deployed to Crimea and the Donbas region of Ukraine in 2014 when Kremlin-backed forces expelled Ukrainian troops from territory they later declared to be Russian territory.
Wagner units have been deployed in Syria, Libya, Mali, and the Central African Republic as well.
The Kremlin denies the existence of Wagner, but Western intelligence has linked the organization to Yevgeny Prigozhin, sometimes known as “Putin’s chef” because his catering firm has long supported President Vladimir Putin and the armed services.
As with many other Russian officials, Mr. Prigozhin is subject to Western sanctions.
Wagner is a private military corporation or PMC. Western analysts assert, however, that they are state-sponsored mercenaries acting in the interests of the Kremlin. They have been repeatedly accused of war crimes and violations of human rights.
Governor Hayday posted on Telegram that Ukrainian soldiers “struck an enemy headquarters whose location was determined by a Russian journalist.”
Yesterday, a successful strike demolished the Wagner PMC headquarters in Popasna, he claimed. He continued, “the number of fatalities is being determined.”
According to the Ukrainian daily Ukrainska Pravda, a pro-Kremlin Russian journalist, Sergei Sreda, exposed Wagner’s headquarters through Telegram on August 8. One of the photographs of his visit to the headquarters included a sign with the address Mironovskaya 12, Popasna.
However, copies of the post are still spreading on social media.
Popasna is located just south of Severodonetsk in the Luhansk area, which is now totally controlled by Russian forces after months of intense warfare and massive destruction.
Kotenok, an additional pro-Kremlin combat correspondent, stated on Telegram: “An attack was conducted against one of the Wagner PMC facilities in Popasna. Donbass-based sources confirm this. Most likely ‘Himars’ According to Ukrainian sources, Prigozhin has passed away, but we cannot confirm this.”
The Ukrainian military now possesses several US Himars (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System), which are capable of striking targets far behind the front lines.
Oleksiy Honcharenko, a Ukrainian lawmaker, stated on Facebook: “Wagner no longer has a headquarters in Popasna. Thank you, HIMARS and Ukrainian Armed Forces!”
Several Ukrainian allegations tie Wagner with the 29 July fire at the Olenivka jail, which murdered scores of Ukrainian prisoners of war. The prison is around 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) from Donetsk. According to Russia, Ukrainian soldiers shelled it. The causes of the fire are still unknown.
