UKRAINE: THE SITUATION 519 - JULY 25, 2023

The Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed continuing concerns about potential threats posed by the Wagner Group and its financier Yevgeny Prigozhin during a spontaneous two-day extension of the visit of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in St. Petersburg.

The Russian service of the BBC reported on July 25 that Putin told Lukashenko at the beginning of their meeting on July 23 that he was ready to adjust his schedule to extend Lukashenko's visit and "discuss important issues in more detail." Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reported on July 25 that Putin and Lukashenko intended to "synchronize watches" and exchange opinions, but not sign any agreements during their extended meeting. Peskov also reported that Putin and Lukashenko discussed the Wagner Group, the Union State, and external threats at the borders of Russia and Belarus. Putin's decision to extend his meeting with Lukashenko probably shows that he continues to have concerns about Wagner, which Lukashenko apparently could not dispel.

The Russian leadership is trying to mitigate the security vacuum created by the departure of the Wagner Group by creating formalized but decentralized military "companies" based on federal subjects (regions).

US intelligence officials warned on July 25 that Russia's supply of drones will dramatically increase due to continued bilateral Russian-Iranian cooperation.

The full Russian Offensive Update 519 is available directly from UNDERSTANDING WAR.

UNDERSTANDING WAR