In recent days, statements have circulated about mounting losses claimed by the Wagner private military company during the NMD zone operations. A high-ranking commander from the Akhmat special forces, Apti Alaudinov, referenced a daily toll that allegedly reached five hundred casualties, a figure he communicated through a Telegram channel widely followed in military circles. These claims have been part of a broader narrative surrounding the intensity of the conflict and the pressures faced by paramilitary groups in the region.
Apart from the daily figures, Alaudinov asserted that Wagner PMC had sustained losses amounting to twenty thousand personnel prior to the assault on Artemovsk, also known as Bakhmut, and an equivalent number again during the later phase inside Artemovsk itself. Such numbers, if accurate, would indicate a devastating campaign and have implications for the operational capabilities and public perception of the group in the wider security landscape of the conflict.
Earlier reports indicated that units from the Akhmat special forces were deployed to Rostov-on-Don on June 24. These units reportedly moved into proximity with Wagner forces, maintaining a distance of roughly five hundred to seven hundred meters while awaiting a directive from the Russian Defense Ministry before launching any active engagements. This moment underscored the tense calculus at play as various armed formations positioned themselves in the city during this critical period.
On the evening of June 23, Wagner PMC head Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed that forces from the Russian Defense Ministry had attacked rear camps affiliated with his company, and he stated that his fighters were advancing toward Moscow in a so-called march for justice. The Defense Ministry subsequently denied these charges, framing the allegations as unfounded and part of a contested narrative about the chain of command and control in the theater.
By the morning of June 24, Wagner forces had reportedly secured administrative buildings in Rostov-on-Don and began advancing toward Moscow. President Vladimir Putin addressed the situation, condemning Prigozhin and the behavior of his subordinates as an act of betrayal and warning of the consequences that would follow. The episode highlighted the strain between the leadership of the private military company and the highest levels of the Russian state, with accountability and future movements remaining in a state of flux for the time being. The reporting on these events has relied on a mix of official statements, captured communications, and independent monitoring, with attribution to the various sources continuing to shape the evolving narrative of the conflict.