Huge smoke cloud rises after massive explosion at factory in Moscow
Russian troops have been forced to retreat as Ukraine has retaken a key village in Donetsk, according to reports.
Moscow’s forces have abandoned their positions in Urozhaine, which is a strategically-significant southeastern village that Kyiv has been attempting to recapture for days as part of its counteroffensive.
In reports that The Independent has been unable to independently verify, it has been suggested that Ukrainian soldiers used US smart bombs that were shipped over in March.
This comes as the UK’s Ministry of Defence said Vladimir Putin may no longer be funding the mercenary Wagner Group. In its daily bulletin on Sunday, it said the Russian state has acted against some other business interests of Wagner owner Yevgeny Prigozhin after he led a failed mutiny against Moscow’s army’s top brass in June.
“The second most plausible paymasters are the Belarusian authorities,” it said, adding that this would be a drain on Belarus’ resources.
The ministry also said the Wagner Group was moving towards downsizing and reconfiguring to save on staff salary expenses at a time of financial pressure.
