Putin’s Africa Corps is fighting in Ukraine reports claim

Russia used a mercenary group that included former Wagner Group soldiers in its latest offensive against Ukraine according to an intelligence update from the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense. 

On May 24th, the UK Ministry of Defence revealed in one of its daily updates on the war in Ukraine that Russia deployed its Africa Corps mercenary group during its offensive in the Kharkiv Region. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons TheAfricanCorps

The Africa Corps was deployed alongside regular Russian military forces and Storm-Z units as part of Russia’s offensive against Vovchansk in northern Kharkiv, according to the intelligence update. 

On May 10th, Russia launched a new offensive against Ukraine in the Kharkiv region, an area that had previously seen the Russian military pushed back behind its borders by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

According to The Kyiv Independent, Russian forces focused on the settlements of Lyptsi and Vovchansk, which are just south of the Russia-Ukrainian border. This new offensive was quite successful at first. 

Moscow penetrated as far as ten kilometers or roughly six miles in the area but Russia’s advance was eventually stopped by Kyiv’s first line of defense in the region according to a statement from President Volodymyr Zelensky on May 16th. 

“The deepest point of their advance is 10 kilometers,” Zelensky explained according to The Kyiv Independent. “In some areas, there was no advance.” About 30,000 soldiers took part in the attack, a figure that undoubtedly included units of the Africa Corps.  

The Defence Ministry explained that the Russian Ministry of Defense “almost certainly redeployed detachments from the Africa Corps to the Ukrainian border during April 2024 in preparation for this offensive.”

“It is highly likely that Russia is reinforcing its war on Ukraine with resources previously assigned to Africa,” the defence ministry update continued. But what do we know about this mysterious force of mercenaries?

The Africa Corps emerged in December 2023 according to the UK Defence Ministry and it included 2,000 officers and soldiers “as well as experienced mercenaries, many of whom previously served in the Wagner Group.”

The UK Defence Ministry update added that detachments of the Africa Corps have likely been deployed to several African countries, including Syria, Libya, and Niger as well as in Burkina Faso.

Business Insider reported that the Africa Corps primarily focused on recruiting soldiers who had previously fought in Ukraine and mercenaries of the Wagner Group, noting that Russia created the Africa Corps to take greater control of Wagner fighters.  

The Wagner Group became "marginalized" and was "de facto" subordinated to Russia’s Ministry of Defense following the death of its former leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who died in a plane crash some believed was ordered by the Kremlin, Business Insider noted. 

The inclusion of the Africa Corps in Moscow’s latest offensive in Ukraine “is a clear sign that Russia is both consolidating its control over the remains of the Wagner Group,” explained Business Insider Cameron Manley. 

As of May 28th, Russia had not captured Lyptsi or Vovchansk, though the Institute for the Study of War reported in its May 27th campaign update that Russia had advanced closer to Lyptsi, noting elements of the Africa Corp were fighting in northern Kharkiv. 

The Institute for the Study of War noted Moscow is hoping to “push Ukrainian forces back from the international border with Belgorod Oblast and approach to within tube artillery range of Kharkiv City.” Whether Russia can achieve this has yet to be seen. 

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