Explosive pictures

Wagner mercenaries apparently spotted in Venezuela

Photos and videos are circulating on the short message platform X (Twitter) of suspected Wagner soldiers acting on the side of the Venezuelan security forces against the protests that have been taking place since Sunday due to the elections. 

It has not yet been confirmed whether these are actually mercenaries from the Russian group Wagner. The videos were shared by Anton Gerashchenko, the former deputy minister of the Ukrainian Ministry of the Interior, among others.

Symbol in the midst of Venezuelan armed forces
They show a man in the midst of Venezuelan armed forces with the symbol of the paramilitary organization on his uniform. According to Gerashchenko's posting, Wagner mercenaries have been in Venezuela for several years and are part of President Nicolás Maduro's closest security ring.

Russia expert Gerhard Mangott told APA on Thursday that soldiers from the group had already been involved during unrest following the Venezuelan presidential elections in 2019. It is "quite possible" that this is now the case again. However, the authenticity of the shared videos has not yet been verified.

Massive doubts about Maduro's election victory
According to the pro-government electoral authority, Maduro was re-elected on Sunday with 51.2 percent of the vote. However, the opposition claimed victory. Both other Latin American and international states have expressed concern about manipulation of the vote count. Russian President Vladimir Putin backed Maduro and congratulated him on his re-election.