Russia is planning to bring in mercenaries to defend its occupied territories in Ukraine, despite the high costs, in a move seen as a response to rapid counteroffensives by Kyiv, according to the British Defence Ministry's latest assessment on Sunday.
Wagner Group owner Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed online on October 19 that his engineering teams were constructing an extensive fortified "Wagner Line" of defences in Russian-occupied Luhansk, and posted a map showing the planned extent of the project, the ministry in London said.
"Imagery showed a section of newly constructed anti-tank defences and trench systems southeast of Kreminna in Luhansk," the analysts said.
If the plans are as extensive as Prigozhin claims, the works likely aim to integrate the Siversky Donetsk river into the defensive zone, they said.
Russia has been using the Wagner Group in conflicts for several years, including in Syria and the Central African Republic.
A video recently caused concern after it appeared to show the mercenary group's chief recruiting Russian prisoners to fight in Ukraine.
Russia recently annexed Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya and is seeking to cement its grip on the Ukrainian regions after staging UN-condemned referendums in September.
Ukraine is currently trying to drive Russian forces out of Kherson. Last week, Russian officials admitted that Moscow's hold on the southern region was shaky and warned that a major Ukrainian counteroffensive was expected.
