Russia paid $1 billion to Wagner group in one year, says Putin

Vladimir Putin has said the Wagner militia has been entirely supported by the Russian state since it joined the war. Russia paid the Wagner group $1bn in the last year, Putin said, in an apparent attempt to take full credit for earlier battlefield successes of the mercenaries. The Russian president said the group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, was entirely financed by the Russian state between May 2022 and May 2023. The Wagner chief made almost as much during the same period from his food and catering business, Mr Putin said at a meeting with security forces. Read your updates here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/06/27/russia-ukraine-war-latest-rivnopil-prigozhin-putin/ #russia #wagner #putin Subscribe to The Telegraph with our special offer: just £1 for 3 months. Start your free trial now: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/customer/subscribe/digitalsub/3for1/?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_pvid_conversion-subscription_editorial-iniative_03-22_EGW-13_organic_youtube Get the latest headlines: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/ Telegraph.co.uk and YouTube.com/TelegraphTV are websites of The Telegraph, the UK's best-selling quality daily newspaper providing news and analysis on UK and world events, business, sport, lifestyle and culture.