Mind Uncharted Explore. Discover. Learn.
Russia’s Wagner mercenary group claims to have taken control of the contested Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, but Kyiv denies the claim, stating that its forces are still fighting southwest of the city and advancing around its flanks. The leader of the Wagner group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, a longtime associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin, says his forces have completed their mission in Bakhmut and are taking a break, with regular Russian troops taking control of the city. The Wagner mercenaries have been accused of committing thousands of war crimes in Ukraine and parts of Africa, where they plunder mineral-rich nations such as the Central African Republic to fund their criminal and paramilitary activities. CBS News’ investigation has revealed how Wagner has practically taken over CAR, using fear and violence to maintain control over the country’s lucrative gold mines and timber forests.
