Some pro-Moscow military bloggers are decrying shameless attempts by the Kremlin to “rewrite history” and “consign to oblivion” the war efforts of the Wagner private military company (PMC) and its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin.
“They forgot how (Wagner) destroyed the enemy on Azovstal from the air amid hails of artillery,” popular Russian blogger Rybar wrote on Telegram. “And how PMC infantry stormed the city with machine guns. We do not belittle the merits of (Defense Ministry) soldiers. But to conduct such campaigning against PMCs is most disgusting.”
The Institute for the Study of War says Russian state TV channel Rossiya-1 aired a segment trivializing the Wagner Group’s effectiveness in Ukraine, calling into question the “constructed myth about the Wagner Group’s effectiveness.” The Kremlin media apparatus is likely targeting Russian public perception of the Wagner PMC to decrease the group’s popularity, according to the Washington-based think-tank’s latest assessment of the war.
Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to destroy Prigozhin’s personal reputation, the assessment said. And the Russian Defense Ministry appears to be trying to disband Wagner troops and reorganize the elements within the Russian military, the institute said.
Developments:
∎ Ukraine placed third in the medal count at at the 2023 European Games with 21 gold, 12 silver and eight bronze. Four of the gold medals were in diving.
∎ An explosion rocked an area not far from Russia’s Primorsk-Akhtarsk airfield near occupied Crimea, the Russian media outlet Baza reported on Telegram. No damage or injuries were reported.
∎ Poland will reinforce its border with Belarus with 500 troops as tensions arise in the region with the arrival of Wagner mercenaries and nuclear arms, Interior Minister Mariusz Kamiński said.
Ukraine updates:Deaths, kids wounded after Russian shelling; Milley on cluster munitions
Russia cancels premier air show amid security concerns
Russian authorities have canceled the International Air and Space Show (MAKS) that had been scheduled for later this month in the city of Zhukovsky, 30 miles southeast of Moscow. While no formal explanation was released, security concerns were a likely culprit as the Moscow region has been hit by armed Ukrainian drones over the last few months. The biennial air show also was likely to draw a smaller number of international delegations and buyers, which could have embarrassed the Kremlin while generating few sales, the British Defense Ministry said in its latest assessment of the war.
MAKS has been held every two years since 1993 and gained elevated stature in 2005. Scientific conferences and demonstration flights aimed at selling planes and other hardware generally take place on weekdays; air shows that draw thousands of spectators are held on weekends.
Belarus tennis player, a favorite at Wimbledon, won’t discuss war
Belarus tennis star Aryna Sabalenka, seeded second at the prestigious Wimbledon tennis tournament that opens Monday in London, says she is willing to talk to reporters about her sport but not the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Belarus, a neighbor of both countries, has been Russia’s biggest supporter in the war.
Sabalenka, 25, won the Australian Open in January. But she was not allowed to compete at Wimbledon a year ago, when all players from Russia and Belarus were banned because of the war.
“I’m not going to talk about politics. I’m here to talk about tennis only,” Sabalenka told reporters. “If you have any kind of political questions, you can ask the WTA or the tournament. They can send you the transcript of my answers from the previous tournaments.”
Contributing: The Associated Press
