Russia sends death squad after Wagner mercenaries who encountered drug smuggling ring involving officials in annexed territory

Wagner mercenaries fighting for Putin’s forces in occupied Ukraine claim they are now being hunted by Russian death squads after uncovering a drug trafficking ring involving officials in the area.

Masked soldiers, who say they are former Wagner PMC fighters attached to Russia’s 331st Guards Parachute Airborne Regiment in Luhansk, shared a video saying they expect to be stormed by Russian special forces.

The unit said it found one of its soldiers using drugs and launched an investigation to track down the dealers, who they said exposed a traffic policeman and other local officials as the criminals behind the major drug ring.

But instead of being praised for punishing them, the group says they are now being targeted by their own side, which they say has asked for the officials’ release.

In the video, the mercenaries say that Spetznaz, Russian special forces troops, “are already starting to move in.” That is, people prepare, they march, troops gather.

“Maybe the Russian army will come and destroy its people, who apparently have crossed a line somewhere with our actions,” says one, before promising to fight back against attacks from his own side.

The soldiers say they previously served in Wagner PMC, which was led by Yevgeny Prigozhin until his apparent assassination after a short-lived mutiny against Moscow.

After Prigozhin’s death, Putin ordered the Wagner fighters to sign an oath of loyalty to the Russian state – a move Prigozhin had opposed because of his anger at the Defense Ministry, which he said risked fueling the war in Ukraine to lose.

Now some of those who apparently came under the Kremlin’s command and are fighting in Ukraine appear to have rebelled against the central command and taken the law into their own hands.

The soldiers angrily wonder, “What’s going on in Ukraine?” arguing that the officials they claim are behind the drug ring could be attempted to disrupt the war effort by agents from Kiev.

“Where is the guarantee that they are not employees of the Armed Forces of Ukraine? They deliberately distributed drugs to the military.

“It wasn’t one person, or two, or three. They specifically targeted the army,” says a soldier.

The soldiers angrily wonder, “What’s going on in Ukraine?” arguing that the officials they claim are behind the drug ring could be Kiev agents

One of the Russian soldiers wears a balaclava with a skull as the group vows to fight back against any attacks from their own side

The group claims that the Luhansk People’s Republic – an illegal state declared by Russia in occupied Ukraine – “and its accomplices” were behind the distribution of drugs to military personnel.

The fighters said they have detained people in response, apparently sparking anger from the LPR and Moscow.

They said that the military police demanded that one prisoner “be turned over to them and that his property be returned, and they suggested that we give them the people we had detained, drugs and cars, according to protocol, according to the law .’

The group said it refused the orders and is now asking for help as it anticipates an attack by Russian special forces.

‘Maybe they will storm us, maybe not, but they think we will surrender. We will not. They know this, they understand it perfectly,” says the soldier.

Wagner PMC was led by Yevgeny Prigozhin until his apparent assassination after a short-lived mutiny against Moscow

Ukrainian soldiers of the Ukrainian National Guard maintain their positions in the snow-covered Serebryan Forest on January 12

The apparent uprising comes after Russian sources revealed that Wagner fighters had signed contracts with the Defense Ministry

British military intelligence said hundreds of fighters previously linked to Wagner have redeployed to Ukraine within various units.

Many more people are said to have joined various Russian private military groups.

Russian, Ukrainian and Western sources have indicated that Wagner fighters are returning to the front, where thousands have already been killed in the battle against Kiev’s forces.