Russia: Wagner hands over thousands of tons of weapons

RT quoted the Russian Defense Ministry 's statement saying that the weapons Wagner handed over included hundreds of heavy weapons, including main battle tanks of various types, multiple rocket launchers, self-propelled and towed artillery, air defense systems and other combat vehicles.

The Russian Defense Ministry also released a video on July 12 showing officials inspecting some heavy military equipment believed to belong to Wagner.

A video released shows rows of tracked and wheeled combat vehicles, as well as other equipment stored at undisclosed locations.

The Russian military said dozens of combat vehicles delivered by Wagner "have never been used in a combat environment".

Specifically, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Wagner forces have handed over more than 2,000 pieces of equipment, including tanks and missiles, about 20,000 guns, and more than 2,500 tons of ammunition.

The Russian army received more than 20,000 small arms and about 2,500 tons of ammunition. Photo: Reuters

The equipment is currently being transferred to rear sites for maintenance. It will then be transferred to Russian military units for “proper use,” according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

The handover shows that the head of Wagner's forces, Yevgeny Prigozhin, is abiding by a deal with the Kremlin under which Wagner and Prigozhin halted a brief mutiny last month.

The uprising ended on June 24 with the mediation of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Under the deal, Russia agreed to drop the criminal case against Wagner, while Prigozhin agreed to move to Belarus.

Wagner fighters were given the choice of following Prigozhin to Belarus, joining the regular Russian armed forces or returning home.

Russian armored vehicles received from Wagner. Photo: RT

Meanwhile, according to The Guardian, what many people are concerned about is Mr. Prigozhin's current situation, as he seems to move freely in Russia despite the agreement to go to Belarus.

President Lukashenko initially said that Mr. Prigozhin had arrived in Belarus on June 27. However, on July 10, the Kremlin revealed that Russian President Vladimir Putin had met directly with Mr. Prigozhin and Wagner commanders to resolve the problems at the Kremlin on June 29, five days after Wagner forces marched on Moscow.

Last week, Mr. Prigozhin was believed to have stayed in southern Russia, flying multiple times between Moscow and St. Petersburg, according to flight tracking data.

Thousands of Wagner members are believed to still be in camps in Russian-controlled areas of eastern Ukraine. In interviews this week, some commanders said they had no plans to sign contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Meanwhile, a senior Russian official said Sergei Surovikin, the deputy commander of Russia's operation in Ukraine, was "on vacation", having not been seen since the Wagner rebellion.

According to Laborer

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