On 24 February, just as Russian troops had launched their offensive in Ukraine, a message was posted on the Wagner group’s unofficial thread on Telegram (which goes by the name ‘Reverse side of Z medal’). It says: “We know that in Kiev, as well as in Ukraine’s major cities, the population is mobilising to form territorial defence units. (…) It is your choice. (…) But believe me, try to avoid being enrolled in such units.”
Since then, the majority of the messages posted by the Wagner group only talk about one thing: the military offensive launched in Ukraine by Vladimir Putin.
Discussions are centred on the surrender of defenders of the capital Kiev after they were overwhelmed by the Russian advance, as well as the seizure and destruction of Ukrainian military equipment by Moscow’s men. On the Telegram channel, which currently has almost 160,000 subscribers, the information war is in
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