Fighters of Wagner private mercenary group pull out of the headquarters of the Southern Military District to return to base, in the city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, June 24, 2023.
Fighters of Wagner private mercenary group pull out of the headquarters of the Southern Military District to return to base, in the city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, June 24, 2023.
  • After a long hiatus, Wagner Group mercenaries are back on the battlefield, Ukraine's military says.
  • Around 500 fighters from Belarus will help Russian combat operations around Bakhmut.
  • Officials and experts say they're not likely to have much battlefield impact without Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Wagner Group mercenaries are back in Ukraine after a lengthy absence from the battlefield. These fighters appear to be some of the best within the Russian ranks, but the threat is still low without their leader, Kyiv's military says.