Several hundred Wagner fighters return to Ukraine, impact limited - Kyiv

FILE PHOTO: The "PMC Wagner Centre", associated with the founder of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, is seen with its logo and sign removed, in Saint Petersburg, Russia July 1, 2023. REUTERS/Anton Vaganov/File Photo

KYIV (Reuters) - Several hundred members of Russia's Wagner private mercenary group have returned to eastern Ukraine to fight but are not having a significant impact on the battlefield, a Ukrainian military spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Wagner fighters played an important role in Russia's capture of the eastern city of Bakhmut in May after one of the longest and fiercest battles of Moscow's 19-month war in Ukraine.