In an intelligence update, the UK's defence ministry said on Sunday that Wagner Group is looking at downsizing reportedly owing to a fund crunch.
“The Wagner Group is likely moving towards a down-sizing and reconfiguration process, largely to save on staff salary expenses at a time of financial pressure,” Britain's intelligence said.
British intelligence said following Wagner's mutiny in June, Moscow had possibly stopped funding Wagner and the government also acted against other businesses of Wagner chief. “Since the abortive mutiny of June 2023, the Russian state has acted against some other business interests of Wagner owner Yevgeny Prigozhin. There is a realistic possibility that the Kremlin no longer funds the group,” it said.
“If the Russian state no longer pays Wagner, the second most plausible paymasters are the Belarusian authorities,” the defence intel said. However, defence authorities assessed that it would be an “unwelcome drain on modest Belarusian resources”.
