Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder made the assessment at a news briefing on Thursday, Britain’s The Guardian newspaper reported.
Ryder told the media: “At this stage, we do not see Wagner forces participating in any significant capacity in support of combat operations in Ukraine.”
He added that, according to Washington, the majority of Wagner fighters were still stationed in Russian-occupied Ukraine, where they had played a crucial role in the Kremlin’s invasion, The Guardian reported.
The US assessment came more than two weeks after Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin led his mercenaries into a mutiny against the Russian government, capturing the city of Rostov and starting a march on Moscow, The Kyiv Independent website reported.
The revolt ended abruptly after less than 24 hours under a deal between Prigozhin and the Kremlin, allegedly brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, according to news outlets.
Under the agreement, Prigozhin and his Wagner fighters were allowed to leave for Belarus to avoid prosecution in Russia, The Kyiv Independent reported.
Earlier this month, Lukashenko said Prigozhin was in Russia, British broadcaster BBC reported at the time.
US confirms delivery of cluster munitions for Ukraine
Meanwhile, the Pentagon on Thursday confirmed that cluster munitions supplied by the United States had now arrived in Ukraine.
Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims, the director of operations for the joint staff, told reporters, as quoted by The Guardian: “Cluster munitions have indeed been delivered to Ukraine at this point."
Valeryi Shershen, a spokesman for Ukraine’s southern military district, said, as quoted by The Telegraph: “This will further demotivate Russian occupying forces and fundamentally change things in favour of the Ukrainian armed forces."
Ukraine having ‘success’ in counteroffensive in Donetsk region: officials
Ukrainian troops had achieved “success” in the eastern Donetsk region as part of their ongoing summer counteroffensive against Russia, state media reported on Friday.
Ukrainian forces “made headway” in the direction of two villages in the province, Bila Gora and Andriivka, according to a spokesman for Ukraine’s General Staff.
Attacks were also continuing in the north and south of the Russian-held city of Bakhmut, officials said, as reported by The Telegraph.
Ukraine downs 16 Russian drones, one person injured
Meanwhile, Ukraine took down 16 out of 17 unmanned aerial vehicles fired by Russia overnight on Friday, The Guardian reported.
It was the fourth successive night of Russian aerial attacks on Ukraine, The Telegraph reported.
Ukraine’s air defence was in action in the southern regions of Odesa and Mykolaiv, as well as in the central Dnipropetrovsk province, according to state broadcaster Suspilne.
One person was injured and nearby buildings damaged when a drone struck a utility company in the central city of Kryvyi Rih, according to officials.
Meanwhile, three communities were shelled in Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv region, which borders both Belarus and Russia, Suspilne also reported, as cited by The Guardian.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.
Friday is day 506 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Kyiv Independent, BBC