Russia-supporting Wagner Group mercenary numbers soar - BBC

Fighters from Russia's mercenary Wagner Group person ballooned from 1,000 to astir 20,000 successful Ukraine, British authorities officials say, a motion of Russia's increasing reliance connected the subject contractor successful enactment of its invasion.

Russia is wide believed to beryllium struggling to enlistee soldiers and support morale. The West estimates Russia has mislaid tens of thousands of soldiers and President Vladimir Putin launched a recruitment thrust successful September to boost numbers.

Meanwhile, Russia has suffered a bid of setbacks connected the battlefield and UK officials judge Russia is turning to the Wagner radical arsenic a consequence. The backstage subject institution is present actively promoting its relation successful the war. As is its main backer, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the antheral erstwhile known arsenic Putin's chef. But, truthful far, Wagner's bark seems to beryllium proving worse than its bite.

The BBC has been briefed by UK officials who've been tracking the activities of the Wagner Group. They accidental the radical is present playing a overmuch higher illustration relation successful the warfare successful Ukraine. But officials adhd that Wagner has besides traded "quality for quantity" and is present facing the aforesaid challenges and losses connected the battlefield arsenic the wider Russian military.

Wagner's power and beingness has lone got stronger, arsenic Russia's penetration plans person stuttered, stalled and suffered setbacks. In March 2022, Wagner was thought to person sent an archetypal unit of conscionable implicit 1,000. But, according to UK officials, that fig has present grown to much than 20,000 - astir 10% of the full Russian forces connected the ground.

Wagner's inflated ranks are linked to its targeted recruitment of convicts successful Russian prisons. UK officials accidental unfastened root estimates suggest that the numbers of convicts successful Russian prisons fell by implicit 23,000 successful the 2 months starring up to November 2022 - the play successful which it was recruiting.

Many convicts are believed to person joined Wagner - though determination are nary precise numbers. In instrumentality they person been told they'll get paid and person their sentences commuted aft serving six months connected the beforehand line. Whilst Wagner claims to wage compensation to the families of those killed successful action, determination are reports immoderate person nothing.

UK officials accidental there's been a pivot from prime to quantity. In the past, Wagner was believed to enlistee mostly experienced erstwhile soldiers - including from Russian subject intelligence, known arsenic the GRU, and ex-special forces.

Wagner's radical tract commander, Lt Col Dmitry Utkin, was an serviceman successful the GRU's Spetsnaz (special ops). But UK officials accidental that Wagner is present "far from an elite force".

In caller months Wagner has taken a precocious illustration relation successful the brutal battle of Bakhmut successful Ukraine's eastbound Donbas region.

A caller UK defence quality appraisal highlighted Wagner's tactics. It said Wagner was utilizing ample numbers of poorly trained convicts - which it viewed arsenic expendable. It said they were apt fixed conscionable a specific, constricted nonsubjective - similar assaulting a gathering - without being allowed to deviate from the plan.

The UK quality appraisal said those who deviated were apt threatened with summary execution.

UK officials accidental needless and indiscriminate unit is simply a hallmark of the group. Wagner precocious released a video of 1 of its members bludgeoning an alleged deserter to death.

Which underlines the different important alteration successful Wagner's attack - it's present actively courting publicity and promoting the brand.

In July Wagner launched its ain transmission connected the societal media level Telegram.

In September it opened up a glitzy caller office successful St Petersburg - named "PMC Wagner Centre". It said it was for "the procreation of caller ideas successful bid to summation the defence capabilities of Russia, including the sphere of information".

UK officials accidental there's precocious been a notable summation successful accusation operations by Wagner successful Ukraine.

Its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, erstwhile threatened journalists with defamation for linking him to the group.

Now helium appears to beryllium actively courting the limelight. He's been seen in a "leaked" video recruiting convicts successful a Russian prison. He's funded a movie astir Wagner successful Ukraine called "The Best successful Hell".

Prigozhin finances his radical and his ain ambitions with a lucrative $1bn (£830m) declaration to supply catering for the Russian state. He's besides believed to beryllium making much wealth from Wagner's mercenary activities successful Africa successful speech for rights to extract uncommon minerals. Wagner mercenaries successful the Central African Republic and Mali person been accused of superior quality rights abuses.

It is Wagner's activities successful Ukraine that person lifted immoderate veil of secrecy surrounding the organisation. UK officials judge Prigozhin wants Ukraine to beryllium his "glossy brochure" for the group's success. A conveyance to beforehand his ain ambitions arsenic portion of Putin's interior ellipse and "saviour of the motherland".

But successful world they spot Wagner facing the nonstop aforesaid challenges arsenic Russia's subject - suffering the aforesaid shortages of instrumentality and precocious complaint of casualties. Some of its troops whitethorn beryllium amended paid and amended equipped than the mean Russian soldier, but galore are not. UK officials accidental Wagner unit are besides apt facing gruelling conditions and materiel shortages successful Ukraine.

There is inactive a blurred enactment betwixt Wagner and the Russian military. UK officials accidental it is apt that elements wrong Russia's defence ministry stay sceptical of the group.

Senior Kremlin officials, including President Putin, person inactive not acknowledged its ties to the Russian state.

But UK officials accidental it is astir definite that Wagner deployed to Ukraine with the authorisation of elder officials and that the mercenaries are present moving successful "operational lockstep" with the Russian military. Wagner's superior grooming country is wrong a Russian defence installation astatine Molkin, 300km (185 miles) eastbound of Crimea.

So acold there's small grounds that Russia's proxy service Wagner is immoderate amended than its ain regular equipped forces.