PMC Wagner is no longer active as a separate branch, outside the contained group of instructors (a few hundreds) deployed in Belarus training their army. At the moment, Wagner leaders are working to create Wagner-related units within Rosgvardia, led by former Wagnerite officers and with an organization that harkens back to the Wagner Group. There is progress about this project, as Rosgvardia recently approved the establishment of volunteer units within its ranks. Let’s also recall that Wagner has lost all its heavy equipment.

In terms of manpower, the paths have been very varied. The surviving convicts from the Project K are home, except for those who wanted to stay and signed contracts with the MoD. As for the professionals, a part went back home (having not signed contracts with the MoD, they have no obligations to stay in Ukraine) while another part has signed and is signing contracts with the MoD in order to be re-deployed in Ukraine. An entity that organizes recruitment of contract soldiers in St. Petersburg (offering very good sums) wrote about how a very large part of the contracts are signed by former Wagner personnel. I read that others have signed with the MoD and have been sent to lead Storm Z/V units attached to formations of the Western Military District. A few hundreds more have reportedly joined the ranks of the “Akhmat Special Forces”, which have created a unit (“Kamerton”) to host former Wagnerites, allowing them to use Wagner patches and so on. This unit is currently active in the Bakhmut sector. Others are joining the former PMCs linked to Redut, which are now becoming the “assault and reconnaissance brigades” of the “Cossack Volunteer Assault Corps” under MoD control. Probably another part, the most hardened Wagner-loyalists who want to return to combat, are waiting for the creation of units linked to the former PMC Wagner within Rosgvardia, which seems to be the only path that finds approval from the official Wagner channels, which instead criticize those who sign contracts with the MoD and join other units.

The US State Department approved the potential sale of 21 M142 HIMARS to the Italian Army, the same amount Italy was thought to be going to acquire. At the same time, 21 M270 MLRS are being upgraded to the A2 standard.

Italian media, moreover, reported that the US asked the Italian Navy (as it did with the French and British navies) to deploy its ships to the Red Sea, a decision will be made in the coming days.