The leader of Russia's Wagner group in wigs and
disguises his alleged home in ST Petersburg filled with
awards, a medical room, piles of cash, a photo of heads
cut off and a giant sledgehammer saying in case of
important negotiations, the Russian government released
these images to Russian media claiming they came from a
police raid after Yevgeny Pergo incited a rebellion.
And after dropping charges against him, Russian state
TV and Russian President Vladimir Putin are currently
undertaking a campaign to destroy. Uh number one, the
reputation of Yevgeny Pergo. And number two, minimize
and trivialize the contribution that the Wagr group
made uh over the course of Russia's war in Ukraine. As
Wagner recruitment ads in building signage get taken
down and pro Wagner websites are blocked. George Ba
the Geospatial Intelligence tea lead at the Institute
for the study of War says we're witnessing a
competition for manpower. We know that the reason why
Putin likely didn't charge the entire Wagner group with
treason was because the Russian military has a crisis
of combat power and they truly need every man that they
can get. Um Therefore, promotion is also competing ove
this limited human resource on Thursday, Belarus's
president, the face of a deal for Wagner forces to move
to Belarus said the wealthy warlord was back in Russia.
Where's Zin right now We don't know where he is and
he's also like Putin, he uses empty planes as a
distraction or uses it to send his lieutenants. Sean MC
is an expert on mercenaries, a former paramilit
himself and he regularly consults for the defense
department and CIA, he says Pergo is still likely
negotiating with Putin. And then some, it's very
possible that that Prasin is negotiating both with
Putin and Zelinsky, which is a classic tactic of
mercenaries. They play rivals off each other. There's a
very good chance that Pra Gozin wants Zelinsky to pay
him lots of money to either get off the battlefield
which would favor Zelinsky or perhaps even support the
Ukrainian forces against Russia They, I would imagine
if such an agreement is happening. Us intelligence
services are advising Zlin Zelinsky closely on. Itin
maintained secret communications with Ukrainian
intelligence and the Kremlin knew it according to
leaked records obtained by the Washington Post. But
Putin's spokesperson insisted Thursday that the Kremlin
is not tracking Pergo. Whereabouts does P Pergo have
the tactics to stay alive Were there to be security
services going after him despite this agreement Oh,
absolutely. Because he has an army at his back which
makes him very political and you know, Putin could,
could put a standing kill order and Prah but P Prego
could put a standing kill order on Putin. And this time
next year, both men may be killed just where some
25,000 Wagner Group forces are today remains unclear.
Some are said to still be in Ukraine but not fight. The
absence of any Wagner Group forces fighting on the
front lines should not be read as uh insubordination or
desire to support the Russian state. They quite simpl
they need to rearm and rest after having undertaken th
brutal battle of Bach Moon last week, tents were
spotted at an abandoned military base in Belarus. And
this week and never before seen satellite images th
Scripps news obtained. Now there appears to be fencing
suggesting ongoing construction. But Belarus's
president is casting doubt that the grounds will hold
Wagner fighters. Is there any indication that this is
for the Wagner Forces or for Russia's military right
now It appears to be for wider group forces You know
this particular facility is not it's on an air base,
there's no airfield. The main Russian line of effort
for establishing a permanent military presence in
Belarus has always been at least going back to 20 14,
2015 has been about establishing an air base. Russi
still needs Wagner fighters despite the revolt would
not having the Wagner forces fighting in Ukraine weak
Russia's effort to try to take the country. Yes, Wagner
group is the second best army in Ukraine. They've won
most if not all the fights and battles for Russia i
Ukraine in the past six months, their departure marks a
serious vulnerability to Russia war efforts in Ukraine,
Sasha Ingberg, scripts, news Washington.