Over 400 mercenaries from Russia are said to currently be stationed in Kyiv with direct orders from President Vladimir Putin to kill Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in preparation for taking over the country.
According to The Times, which cited an individual close to the matter, the Wagner Group — whom is effectively viewed as Putin’s private militia — has covertly infiltrated Ukraine with a task to assassinate the Zelensky government in exchange for a substantial financial reward. The Ukrainian government was made aware of the secret mission over the weekend, after which Kyiv ordered a 36-hour “hard” curfew to eradicate the city of Russian saboteurs, advising citizens they may be “liquidated” if they were caught outside beyond the curfew.
The source told The Times that anywhere between 2,000 to 4,000 Russian mercenaries entered Ukraine back in January. They were allegedly instructed to wait until Putin conducts negotiations with Zelensky — after which a deal would fail to be reached— in order to create a “smoke and mirrors” effect. Indeed, Zelensky on Sunday sent a Ukrainian delegation to the Belarusian border to conduct talks with Russian government officials, but the President doubts Moscow is serious.
In the interim, the Wagner Group members are currently awaiting approval from Putin’s government to complete their mission, and in exchange are promised a covert exit out of Ukraine and a hefty financial bonus before the end of the week. In addition to a hit on Zelensky, the mercenaries have also been ordered to assassinate 23 other Ukrainian government officials, including the country’s prime minister, the mayor of Kyiv and his brother, as well as the entire cabinet.
The Wagner Group is also in the midst of preparing for an invasion, aiding Russian columns to the capital city to plan and conduct hits on government officials. Even though the militia is a private company and is not directly related to Putin, it is run by his closest ally, Yevgeny Prigozhin — an oligarch referred to as Putin’s chef.
“They are very effective because they are hard to pin down,” Joint Forces Command former commander Sir Richard Barrons told The Times. “They can appear from the shadows, do very violent things and then disappear again, without it being obvious who was responsible. They are not directly linked to the Russian government and therefore they are plausibly deniable.”
Information for this briefing was found via The Times. The author has no securities or affiliations related to this organization. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.
