Over the weekend, numerous Arabic media outlets reported that Russian military forces had carried out raids on the offices of the Wagner mercenary group in Syria and had detained some fighters. This development followed the Wagner group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and his armed forces declaring control over the Russian city of Rostov and advancing towards Moscow.
According to a report by Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hadath TV news channel, Russian military police reportedly arrested the head of the Wagner unit in As Suwayda, southern Syria, as well as three “high-ranking commanders” at the Khmeimim Air Base.
The media reports suggested that the raids were conducted jointly by Russian military police and Syrian intelligence, who also launched an arrest campaign against the Wagner group in Syria on June 23, the same day Prigozhin’s forces claimed control over the Russian city and marched towards Moscow.
Al-Hadath also stated that the police visited Wagner offices in several Syrian cities, including Deir ez-Zur, Hama, and Damascus. Since its intervention in Syria in 2015, Russia has played a significant role in tipping the scales in favor of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.
Earlier this year, Assad met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and expressed support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, as well as recognition of territories claimed by Russia in Ukraine. Assad also indicated that Syria would welcome more Russian forces and permanent military bases, as reported by Russian media.
Al-Hadath further reported that Wagner leaders, recruiters, and fighters were rounded up during the raids in the mentioned cities, and Russian forces allegedly arrested three Wagner officers, including a lieutenant colonel.
Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergey Vershinin, also visited Damascus over the weekend and reportedly urged Assad not to allow any Wagner fighters to leave Syria without Moscow’s permission, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
The arrests were confirmed by a Pentagon official in Washington and a German defense official, as reported by Sky News Arabia.
While some media reports close to Wagner denied the detentions, they did not deny the raids on their offices. A Telegram channel called “Orchestra Wagner,” which is said to be linked to the paramilitary group, stated that reports of fighter detentions in Syria were untrue.
An Istanbul-based Syrian analyst, Waiel Olwan, stated that the Russian military conducted the raids as a precautionary measure and allegedly placed Wagner members under house arrest at the Khmeimim Air Base, according to the London-based media outlet Middle East Eye.
Olwan reportedly mentioned that despite Prigozhin’s announcement of a march to Moscow, Wagner fighters did not rebel against Russian forces in Syria and obeyed their orders.
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