Russia's war in Ukraine
A Wagner fighter walks past a tank in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on June 24. Reuters
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin’s attempted rebellion in Russia last week “greatly affected Russian power on the battlefield” and could benefit Ukraine's counteroffensive.
“They are losing the war. They have no more victories on the battlefield in Ukraine, and so they are starting to look for someone to blame,” he said at a news conference with Spanish media that took place in Kyiv on Saturday.
But Prigozhin’s rebellion could be beneficial in the early stages of Ukraine's counteroffensive, he added.
We need to take advantage of this situation to push the enemy out of our land,” he said.
Zelensky said the counteroffensive will not be done quickly because he values human lives and is strategic in where troops are deployed.
“Every meter, every kilometer costs lives... You can do something really fast, but the field is mined to the ground,” he said. “People (are) our treasure. That's why we are very careful.”
Zelensky also claimed 21,000 Wagner mercenaries have been killed in eastern Ukraine. He did not specify over what time period the supposed deaths took place.
“The most powerful group of Wagnerites was in eastern Ukraine,” Zelensky said.
“Our troops killed 21,000 Wagnerites in eastern Ukraine alone; 80,000 Wagnerites were wounded,” he added. “These were enormous losses for the Wagner PMC.”
Neither side releases battlefield casualty counts, and CNN cannot independently verify Zelensky's claims.
Source: CNN
