Ukraine war: Russia’s Wagner Group tried and failed to get weapons from China, leaked US intel says
- The infamous mercenary organisation sought munitions and equipment, but no arms were sent, ‘not even for testing’, according to a US news report
- Wagner chief Prigozhin has repeatedly complained of being poorly supported by Russia’s ministry of defence, raising the possibility he sought aid elsewhere
Leaked US intelligence documents reveal that a key mercenary group fighting on Russia’s behalf in Ukraine asked China to supply weapons to it earlier this year, but was rejected, according to the Financial Times.
The infamous Wagner Group “sought munitions and equipment” from China in “early 2023”, the leaked documents reportedly say.
But as of January, China had not sent weapons, “not even for testing, and had no contact with [Wagner] regarding weapons deliveries”, the FT reported the documents as saying.
The Wagner Group is the main pro-Russian force currently fighting to capture the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, a battle that US General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called a “slaughter-fest” for Russian forces.
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China has long professed neutrality in the conflict in Ukraine, and has publicly rebuffed the idea that it would send lethal aid to Russia.