The Russian channel, Russia Today, recently cited sources confirming that there is no activity of the Russian “Wagner” movement in Syria. The investigations conducted at the Russian Hmeimim base in Tartous involved individuals who were associated with “Wagner” as a precautionary measure.
According to official Syrian sources, Syria currently hosts companies that are primarily engaged in economic activities. Russian military units continue their operations at the Hemeimeem base, and there is no presence of “Wagner” members or affiliated entities, as reported by Russia Today.
Sources within the Hemeimeem base, as quoted by the Russian channel, stated that investigations were carried out with individuals previously linked to “Wagner.” However, these measures were merely precautionary in nature.
These statements from the sources aim to clarify the situation, as several Arab and foreign media outlets have published reports suggesting the presence of Russian “Wagner” members in Syria. The Washington Post, an American newspaper, recently published a report claiming that intelligence estimates indicated the deployment of 6,000 “Wagner” members in Syria and Africa.
On June 24th, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the commander of the Russian “Wagner” forces and often referred to as Putin’s cook, announced the advancement of his forces towards Moscow, the Russian capital, with the intention of quelling the rebellion and accepting Prigozhin’s leadership. However, Russian authorities have declared the closure of this matter, asserting the return of normalcy to all regions in Russia.
According to recent reports from the United States, it has been revealed that Washington had prior knowledge of Evgeny Prigozhin’s plans, the commander of the Russian “Wagner” special military group, to rebel against the military leadership. The American network CNN published a report stating that American intelligence obtained highly detailed and accurate information about Prigozhin’s plans, which ultimately led to his retreat with the mediation of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Sources from CNN further disclosed that the information obtained by U.S. intelligence was classified to such an extent that it was shared only with a specific group of allies, including high-ranking officials in Britain, rather than at the NATO level. This selective sharing of information caused frustration among some NATO officials.
It is worth noting that Russian experts have previously suggested that the rebellion of the “Wagner” leader could serve the interests of the Federal Security Service (FSB). The British newspaper, The Independent, quoted independent Russian analyst Tatyana Stanovaya, who pointed out that “the authorities may be aiming to sideline Prigozhin with his active participation.” She added, “From the perspective of the FSB and the General Staff, the ongoing events are quite favourable for them. At the very least, Prigozhin will be dealt a blow.”
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
