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The Wagner Group, a Russian mercenary group that North Korea is known to have provided weapons such as missiles, is also called President Putin's shadow unit.

The group, which is mostly made up of prisoners, is currently leading the charter on the Russian side, fighting all over Ukraine and key areas.



Shin Jeong-eun is a reporter.



<Reporter>



Soledar, the road to Bakhmut, a strategic point in eastern Ukraine.



A city with a population of 70,000 was left in ruins in the fierce fighting.



On the 10th, the 'Wagner Group' claimed to have taken control of Soledar.



If the claims are correct, this is the first victory by the retreating Russian side in six months.



50,000 of Wagner's mercenaries went to war in Ukraine, 10,000 were civilians, and 40,000 were known as prisoners recruited from prisons.



[Coleso/Ukraine Soldier: Wagner mercenaries attack at night.

The 1st advance squad is untrained, but requires a lot of ammunition.

The second attack group that follows is equipped with advanced equipment such as night vision goggles and is well trained.]



During the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, the Wagner group, which was first known, became notorious for its brutality in conflict areas involving Russia, such as Africa.



In Ukraine, they are also killing and looting civilians and killing fellow convict mercenaries.



[Wagner's group escape mercenary: When the mercenaries who were injured and being treated in the hospital tried to escape, they shot and killed them.

They even shot 10 people in front of the prisoners who had just arrived at the training ground.]



As President Putin recently used Wagner's mercenaries, an analysis was raised that they are competing with the Russian army.



[John Kirby/White House National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator: There are intelligence and signs that tensions are rising between the Russian Defense Ministry and the Wagner Group.]



Ukraine wants the latest German-made Leopard 2 tank to definitively turn the tide of battle.

However, Germany is said to be burdened with tank support.



(Video editing: Kim Ho-jin)