If one story dominated the headlines from Russia in 2023, it was the rise and the fall of the murky and brutal Wagner mercenary group and of its leader, the late Kremlin-linked catering magnate Yevgeny Prigozhin. Wagner rose to prominence as one of the driving forces of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine starting in mid-2022. This year saw the group recruit convicts from Russian prisons en masse, claim gains on the battlefield, enter a bitter feud with the Defense Ministry and launch a shocking mutiny against the military's top brass.
Kremlin Pardons Prisoners in Russia But There s a Catch european-views.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from european-views.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.