Wagner forces no longer significant in Ukraine, US says

The Wagner mercenary radical is nary longer "participating successful immoderate important capableness successful enactment of combat operations successful Ukraine", a Pentagon spokesperson has said.

It comes weeks aft the group's 24-hour mutiny successful Russia - a situation to President Vladimir Putin's authority.

Wagner is thought to person helped Russia annex Crimea successful 2014, and has fought immoderate of its bloodiest caller battles.

It was instrumental successful capturing the eastbound metropolis of Bakhmut for Russia.

Under the woody that ended the June rebellion, Wagner fighters were told they could articulation the regular Russian service oregon caput to Belarus with their chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin.

But earlier this week, the Kremlin said that Mr Putin had met Prigozhin successful Moscow lone days aft the mutiny.

Mr Putin insists helium made his connection wide to the fighters during that meeting.

Speaking to Russian regular Kommersant connected Thursday, helium said they could person chosen to "continue their service" for the Russian regular military.

"They would person been led by the idiosyncratic who had been their existent commandant each that time," helium continued, successful an evident notation to himself.

He besides stressed determination was nary ineligible model for backstage subject organisations. Putting it bluntly, helium said: "Wagner does not exist."

Earlier successful the day, US President Joe Biden told a quality league successful Finland that Mr Prighozin should beryllium cautious of poisoning pursuing the uprising.

"God lone knows what he's apt to do. We're not adjacent definite wherever helium is and what narration helium has [with Mr Putin]. If I were he, I'd beryllium cautious what I ate. I'd support my oculus connected my menu," Mr Biden said.

Speaking aft a acme with Nordic leaders successful Helsinki, Mr Biden besides said determination was nary anticipation of Mr Putin winning the warfare successful Ukraine.

"He's already mislaid that war," helium said.

Mr Biden said the Russian president would yet "decide it's not successful the involvement of Russia, economically, politically oregon different to proceed this war. But I can't foretell precisely however that happens."

He besides expressed the "hope and expectation" that Ukraine would marque capable advancement successful its existent counter-offensive for determination to beryllium a negotiated bid settlement.

Others judge that Russia's defences volition yet shatter, allowing Ukraine to prehend strategically important territory and to beforehand towards Russian-seized Crimea.

Ukraine has agelong asked Western allies to supply much subject assistance to assistance its absorption against the Russian invasion.

Although it did not get a coagulated timeframe for Nato rank astatine a caller acme successful Lithuania, it did person from G7 members a long-term information framework to assistance defender against Russian aggression.

He stressed that they would marque a quality to Ukraine's fortunes connected the beforehand line. "We conscionable got them, we haven't utilized them yet, but they tin radically alteration [the battlefield]," Mr Tarnavskyi said.