Wagner pauses fighter recruitment and focuses on Africa and Belarus - Prigozhin

The caput of the Wagner mercenary radical says it volition proceed its activities successful Africa and Belarus, but that it is not presently recruiting caller fighters.

The radical was deciding connected its adjacent objectives, Yevgeny Prigozhin said successful an audio connection published by a Wagner-linked Telegram account.

Wagner fighters person played a cardinal relation during Russia's penetration of Ukraine.

In June, respective 1000 of them took portion successful a short-lived mutiny against Russia's subject leadership.

In his audio message, Mr Prigozhin said astir Wagner fighters were presently connected leave, due to the fact that "before that determination was a agelong play of precise hard work".

He said the radical was deciding connected aboriginal tasks, which would "be carried retired for the greatness of Russia".

The radical would enactment "active successful Africa and astatine grooming centres successful Belarus", helium added successful his connection - which was published connected the Grey Zone account.

"While we are not experiencing immoderate shortage successful personnel, we bash not program to behaviour caller recruitment," Mr Prigozhin said. "However, we volition beryllium highly grateful if you support successful interaction with us, and arsenic soon arsenic the Motherland requires a caller radical that volition beryllium capable to support the interests of our country, we volition surely commencement recruiting."

He added determination were nary restrictions placed connected its fighters to transportation to "other powerfulness structures" of Russia, and "unfortunately, some" agreed to bash that.

After the failed Wagner mutiny connected 24 June, President Vladimir Putin invited fighters from the radical who did not instrumentality portion successful the uprising to motion contracts with the Russian defence ministry.

In different developments, astatine slightest 4 radical were killed connected Monday greeting successful the Ukrainian metropolis of Kryvyi Rih aft Russian rocket strikes, according to the interior ministry.

Meanwhile, a drone onslaught has been reported successful Russia's borderline portion of Bryansk - with Governor Alexander Bogomaz saying a constabulary presumption was hit.

On Saturday, Russian officials said 3 Ukrainian drones were downed successful Moscow - the latest successful a bid of drone assaults connected the Russian capital.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin blamed Ukraine for the attack, successful which 2 bureau blocks were damaged, though determination were nary casualties.