Russian mercenaries betrayed by their own photos. kyiv claimed to have struck a base of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner in Propasna, in the Ukrainian region of Luhansk (east), on Monday August 15.
The base of the private military company was “destroyed by precision strike” Sunday, after being located “thanks to a Russian journalist”said the governor of Luhansk Sergiï Gaïdaï on Telegram (in Ukrainian). According to the media Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian), a pro-Russian journalist posted on Telegram photos taken during his visit to premises presented as those of Wagner, on August 8. Internet users have noted that the building was easily located thanks to the address present on one of the photos, as the journalist for Radio Free Europe Mark Krutov on Twitter (in English). The original photos have since been deleted.
1/2 On Monday, Aug. 8th, Russian journal published the photos of “Wagner PMC” headquarters in Popasna, including the sign with the building address: “Mironivska, 12”. “Putin’s cook” Prigozhin can be seen on the pics. Today this building (48.616, 38.360) was hit by Ukrainian strike pic.twitter.com/TDQtI5WrPw
— Mark Krutov (@kromark) August 14, 2022
The Wagner group, which operates very opaquely, is accused of fighting alongside Russian troops in Ukraine, and of recruiting soldiers directly from Russian prisons in exchange for reduced sentences. The presence of its mercenaries has been attested in recent years in Syria, Libya, Mali and other African countries, where they are accused of abuses. The company is reputed to be linked to Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigojine, himself considered close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.