Reports indicate that Syrian intelligence and military units provided support to Russian forces during the Wagner PMC insurgency in Russia, with the goal of disrupting Wagner’s organizational structure inside the Syrian Republic. The information comes from Reuters, which cited official sources in Damascus.
According to the agency, the joint operation occurred on the night of June 23. The Syrian army reportedly shut down telephone lines and mobile communications in the area and aided the arrival of Russian troops to pressure Wagner unit leaders to either depart Syria or enter into contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Sources in Syria estimated that the number of Wagner forces stationed in the country did not exceed 450 personnel. Those who refused to sign a contract with the Russian military were said to have been expelled from the country.
Prior to this development, German intelligence was said to have observed negotiations between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner founder, amid the recent failed insurgent activity in Russia.
In related remarks, a figure identifying himself as a Wagner fighter in Norway reportedly expressed an intention to return home, signaling possible movements among paid combat personnel.