No major Ukrainian counter-offensive as Wagner insurrection abates
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – After the most serious challenge to President Vladimir Putin over the weekend, Ukraine has yet to mount a full counter-offensive.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Kremlin-funded Wagner mercenary militia, mounted an insurrection against the Russian armed forces on June 23 before accepting a Belarusian-brokered de-escalation agreement.
Today, June 26, Russia’s Prime Minister, Mikhail Mishustin, said that the country had faced “a challenge to its stability.”
The Wagner mutiny was Russia’s most serious internal challenge since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Yet Ukraine’s forces have not taken advantage of the strife.
Hanna Maliar, Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister, announced today that its forces had re-taken Rivnopil, a minor village in the country’s southeast. Since the much-anticipated summer counter-offensive, Ukrainian forces have liberated about 130 square kilometers of Russian-occupied land, Maliar added. However, Ukraine has yet to commit a majority of its troops.
Ukraine may want to get some commitment for itself before it does so. Today, Ukraine’s office of the presidency reiterated that Kyiv expects to receive an invitation for a simplified accession to NATO when the alliance meets in July.