Russians are mourning the death of theWagner mercenary chief as Prigozhin is buried

The death of Yevgeny Prigoshyn and the emergence of Russian mercenaries in Robotyne

With the death of Yevgeny Prigoshyn, questions remain as to what will happen to the Russian mercenaries who played a key role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and operations in Syria and Africa.

The military of Ukraine said that it had retook the southeastern settlement of Robotyne. There are signs of advances by the Ukrainians in the region.

This week, members of a United Nations commission are due to visit Ukraine as part of their investigation into reports of violations of human rights and international law.

Conspiracy theories have flourished in the wake of the crash, claiming that Prigozhin is still alive. A flight manifest listed the Wagner chief among passengers. Four days after the crash, Russia’s Investigative Committee said that forensic testing had shown Prigofen was among the dead.

U.S. candidates for the Republican presidential nomination debated on Ukraine: Wagner chief Prigozhin died as Russia’s war turned 1 1/2

The Ukraine war became a sticking point in a U.S. debate of candidates seeking the Republican presidential nomination last Wednesday. Europe should pull their weight according to Ron DeSantis who was in second place. But candidates Nikki Haley and Chris Christie argued the U.S. should continue to stand up against Russia. The front-runner for the party’s nomination, former President Donald Trump, did not attend the debate.

Russian President Vladimir Putin did not show up at the leaders’ gathering in South Africa. In his video message delivered (apparently with a different, lower voice) to the summit last Tuesday, he defended Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, even as China and other countries pushed a peace plan.

The Independence Day of Ukraine was celebrated last Thursday for the second time during Russia’s invasion. Kyiv again put remnants of wrecked Russian military vehicles and equipment on public display. Also Thursday, the U.N. Security Council met to discuss Ukraine, in which Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo said U.N. workers had documented the deaths of 9,444 civilians, including 545 children, but that the real figures are likely much higher.

Evan Gershkovich’s detaining was extended by three months by a Moscow court. The American journalist appealed the extension. The U.S. government says he was wrongfully detained by Russia.

Source: Latest on Ukraine: Wagner chief Prigozhin died as Russia’s war turned 1 1/2

PRIGOZhin, Putin, the Zaporizhzhia crisis, and the fate of the Russian military in Ukraine: NPR’s State of Ukraine

Russia claimed that the missiles and drones launched by Ukraine towards Moscow and Crimea were all downed by Russian air defense systems. Reuters said the operations could have amounted to some of the largest coordinated Ukrainian air attacks against Russian-held territory to date. Russia also fired missiles at the Ukranians. On the battlefield, Ukraine’s military reported gaining some territory in the Zaporizhzhia region.

You can read previous recaps here. For context and more in-depth stories, you can find more of NPR’s coverage here. Follow NPR’s State of Ukraine program for all the latest updates throughout the day.

One of the people wearing a pin by the memorial was a liberal activist who wore a pin in honor of Boris Nemtsov, who was assassinated near the Kremlin in 2015.

She said that it was revenge for the uprising. It is hard to believe it was just a coincidence that the crash happened a day after the rebellion.

Alexander, a native of eastern Ukraine who is a supporter of theWagner brand, said that 97 percent of the people are aware of what happened.

She noted that Putin ended the uprising with an ease deal after his fighters killed at least a dozen Russian soldiers on their way to Moscow.

Bustling by the memorial on her way to the local Orthodox church, pensioner Irina Pavlova said Prigozhin’s mutiny was his undoing — at least in God’s eyes.

He said that the approach had been successful until Prigozhin caused a rebellion against Russia’s military leadership in June.

But Ivan said he recognized Prigozhin’s plain talk about the struggles on the front and failures inside the Defense Ministry made him a rising political star to many in Russia.

Ivan said he was against the war in Ukraine and disapproved of Prigozhin’s cruel system of wartime justice — in some instances, executions meted out by sledge hammer.

“He looked like a guy who put his principles over the Russian propaganda,” explained Ivan, 23, a lawyer who — like many at the Moscow memorial — asked his last name be withheld so he could speak freely out of concerns of government reprisals.

“[Prigozhin] might still be alive,” said Bikmulin, noting Russian media had erroneously reported the Wagner leader’s death several times before. We have not seen a body. Until then his death is a rumor.

Bikmulin said the last time he heard from his father was a month ago. He speculated that his father might have been put on assignment in Africa or one of the other countries. Perhaps, he added, Prigozhin — against all odds — was even with him.

Probing the Prigozhin mercenary in the city’s burial ground with the Porokhovskoye cemetery

But onlookers were more open with their views, expressing a mixture of grief, pride and scorn for a figure whose mercenary force has become a global household name for its exploits in Ukraine, Syria and on the African continent.

An apparent Wagner mercenary — masked in full-body camouflage and wearing a patch with the group’s skull insignia — tended to candles, mounds of roses and photographs of Prigozhin and other Wagner commanders killed in last week’s plane crash.

The unannounced ceremony in the city’s Porokhovskoye Cemetery was attended by a small number of people. The cemetery itself was heavily guarded by Russian police and security personnel.