Latest news with #DmitryUtkin
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Russia Appears To Be Hiding Its Death Figures
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Russian government has stopped reporting the number of deaths in Russia as the Kremlin is likely keen to conceal Russia's losses from the war in Ukraine, a report says. Rosstat, Russia's state statistics agency, did not report key demographic data in its report for the first five months of 2025, according to independent outlet Meduza. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a think tank in Washington, D.C., said in a July 6 update that the Russian government wanted to conceal population data to hide growing demographic problems and high losses in Ukraine. Newsweek has contacted Rosstat for comment. The grave of Dmitry Utkin, a military commander of the private mercenary group Wagner, at the Federal Military Memorial Cemetery in Moscow, on August 31, 2023. The grave of Dmitry Utkin, a military commander of the private mercenary group Wagner, at the Federal Military Memorial Cemetery in Moscow, on August 31, It Matters Even before Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia was facing significant demographic challenges amid a plummeting birth rate. These have increased since February 2022 because of huge casualties and the exodus of Russians fleeing the draft, exacerbating a labor shortage that has fueled inflation in the sanctions-hit economy. Reports that Rosstat is trying to hide population data highlight the sensitivity for the Kremlin of the demographic crisis that Russia faces and the instability it may cause. What To Know Meduza reported on Saturday that Rosstat's "Socioeconomic Situation in Russia" report published on July 2 did not include demographic data between January and May this year. Electoral statistics researcher Dmitry Kobak said the agency had refused his request for figures from 2024 about male excess mortality and deaths per month, the outlet reported. In May, independent Russian demographer Alexey Raksha wrote on his Telegram channel that Rosstat had ceased publishing detailed population data and omitted figures for births and deaths and monthly data on marriages and divorces. Raksha, whom Russian authorities have declared a foreign agent, reported an absence of demographic statistics since March, adding that Russia may be having its lowest birth rates since the late 18th century. The omission of demographic data in Rosstat's reports is also likely an attempt to conceal the high military losses in Ukraine. As of Monday, Russia had suffered personnel losses of 1,027,540, according to Ukraine's military, a figure that includes those killed and injured. Ukraine's figures are difficult to independently verify, but they are frequently cited by Western officials. The British government said in April that Russia's likely total casualty count since February 2022 was 920,000. Meduza reported that as early as July 2024, Rosstat had begun to restrict death statistics from external causes, which independent journalists had used to calculate the number of Russians killed in the war. What People Are Saying Institute for the Study of War reported on Sunday: "Rosstat is concealing population data in an attempt to obfuscate Russia's ongoing demographic problems, and the omission ... likely also aims to obscure the Russian military's high personnel loss rates." Russian demographer Alexey Raksha wrote on Telegram in May: "March (2025) set a record low for the average daily number of births in the Russian Federation." Branislav Slantchev, a professor of political science at the University of California, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "The Kremlin is desperate to hide two things: the fact that Russia has lost over a quarter of a million soldiers killed in Ukraine, and the fact that the Russians have an abysmal birth rate that is about to crush them over the coming decades." What Happens Next The Kremlin has prioritized addressing Russia's demographic decline, announcing in December a "Strategy of Action" to provide financial incentives for people to have more children in the next five years and plans to ban "childfree ideology."
TimesLIVE
10-06-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Russia's Africa Corps to stay in Mali after Wagner mercenaries leave
The Africa Corps, a Kremlin-controlled paramilitary force, said on Friday it will stay in Mali after Russia's Wagner mercenary group leaves following a three-and-a-half-year fight against Islamist militants. Wagner has been in Mali since the army, which seized power in two coups in 2020 and 2021, kicked out French and UN troops involved in fighting Islamic insurgents for a decade. The Africa Corps was created with the Russian defence ministry's support after Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin and commander Dmitry Utkin led a failed military mutiny against the Russian army leadership and left Russia for Belarus with other mercenaries. About 70-80% of the Africa Corps is made up of former Wagner mercenaries, according to several Telegram chats used by Russian mercenaries seen by Reuters. Wagner posted on social media that it was returning home after its mission in Mali had been successfully completed. It added it had brought all of the country's regional centres back under the control of the Malian military junta, pushing out Islamist forces and killing their commanders. Wagner did not say what its fighters would do back in Russia.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia's Wagner Group leaves Mali, Africa Corps will stay
The Russia-backed Wagner Group of mercenaries on Friday said that it is leaving Mali after more than three and a half years of fighting Islamist insurgents in the country. Despite the announcement by Wagner, Russia will continue to have its presence in Mali as the Africa Corps, a paramilitary force also controlled by Russia, will continue to stay in the country. The Africa Corps said on its Telegram channel that Wagner's departure would not introduce any changes, and the Russian contingent will remain in Mali. "Mission accomplished. Private Military Company Wagner returns home," the group announced via its channel on the messaging app Telegram. The Wagner Group has been in Mali since the army expelled the French and United Nations troops that were fighting Islamic insurgents for a decade. With waning Western influence in the region, Russia has rushed in to fill the gap and offer assistance. Wagner said that it has successfully brought all of the country's regional centers back under the control of the Malian military junta. The Africa Corps was formed with the Russian Defense Ministry's support after Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin and commander Dmitry Utkin led a failed military mutiny against the Russian army leadership and left Russia for Belarus with other mercenaries. Prigozhin was later killed in a plane crash north of Moscow, with US officials suggesting that a bomb or sabotage on board brought down the plane. About 70-80% of the Africa Corps group is made up of former Wagner mercenaries, according to several Telegram chats used by Russian mercenaries seen by Reuters news agency. Around 2,000 mercenaries are deployed in Mali. It is unclear how many are with Wagner and how many are part of the Africa Corps, according to US officials. Edited by: Wesley Dockery
DW
07-06-2025
- Politics
- DW
Russia's Wagner Group leaves Mali, Africa Corps will stay – DW – 06/07/2025
Russia's mercenary group Wagner said that it is leaving Mali after helping reestablish the Malian junta's control over regional centers. The Russia-backed Wagner Group of mercenaries on Friday said that it is leaving Mali after more than three and a half years of fighting Islamist insurgents in the country. Despite the announcement by Wagner, Russia will continue to have its presence in Mali as the Africa Corps, a paramilitary force also controlled by Russia, will continue to stay in the country. Why is Wagner Group leaving Mali? The Africa Corps said on its Telegram channel that Wagner's departure would not introduce any changes, and the Russian contingent will remain in Mali. "Mission accomplished. Private Military Company Wagner returns home," the group announced via its channel on the messaging app Telegram. The Wagner Group has been in Mali since the army expelled the French and United Nations troops that were fighting Islamic insurgents for a decade. Wagner's presence in Africa and what it gets in return To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video With waning Western influence in the region, Russia has rushed in to fill the gap and offer assistance. Wagner said that it has successfully brought all of the country's regional centers back under the control of the Malian military junta. What do we know about the Africa Corps? The Africa Corps was formed with the Russian Defense Ministry's support after Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin and commander Dmitry Utkin led a failed military mutiny against the Russian army leadership and left Russia for Belarus with other mercenaries. Prigozhin was later killed in a plane crash north of Moscow, with US officials suggesting that a bomb or sabotage on board brought down the plane. About 70-80% of the Africa Corps group is made up of former Wagner mercenaries, according to several Telegram chats used by Russian mercenaries seen by Reuters news agency. Around 2,000 mercenaries are deployed in Mali. It is unclear how many are with Wagner and how many are part of the Africa Corps, according to US officials. Edited by: Wesley Dockery
Straits Times
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Africa Corps to stay in Mali after Russia's Wagner mercenary group leaves
MOSCOW/DAKAR - The Africa Corps, a Kremlin-controlled paramilitary force, said on Friday it will stay in Mali after Russia's Wagner mercenary group leaves following a 3-1/2 year fight against Islamist militants. Wagner has been in Mali since the army, which seized power in two coups in 2020 and 2021, kicked out French and United Nations troops involved in fighting Islamic insurgents for a decade. The Africa Corps was created with the Russian Defence Ministry's support after Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin and commander Dmitry Utkin led a failed military mutiny against the Russian army leadership and left Russia for Belarus with other mercenaries. About 70-80% of the Africa Corps is made up of former Wagner mercenaries, according to several Telegram chats used by Russian mercenaries seen by Reuters. Wagner posted on social media that it was returning home after its mission in Mali had been successfully completed. It added it had brought all of the country's regional centres back under the control of the Malian military junta, pushing out Islamist forces and killing their commanders. Wagner did not say what its fighters would do back in Russia. The Africa Corps said on its Telegram channel that Wagner's departure would not introduce any changes as the Russian contingent will remain in Mali. "Russia does not lose ground, but on the contrary, continues to support Bamako now at a more fundamental level," it said, referring to the capital city. The Malian defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for a comment. A spate of attacks erupted in recent weeks, which insurgents said killed more than 100 Malian soldiers and some mercenaries. Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), an insurgent group in West Africa's Sahel region, claimed responsibility for the violence in recent days, including a bombing attack on Wednesday against Malian and Russian soldiers near Bamako. Russia has been seeking to replace Wagner with the Africa Corps in Mali, Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel programme at Germany's Konrad Adenauer Foundation, said in an interview. "The takeover by the Africa Corps means that the Russian military engagement in Mali will continue, but the focus might change more to training and providing equipment and less actual fighting jihadists." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
