Putin Withdraws Wagner Troops As He 'Fears Coup

Raw recruits will replace mercenaries

- Chris Hughes

RUSSIA'S notorious Wagner Group mercenaries are being ordered to scale down operations in Ukraine because Vladimir Putin fears they are becoming too powerful.

The 50,000-strong squad, many of them convicted criminals, have played a key role in the most brutal fighting.

NA But founder Yevgeny Prigozhin has stopped recruiting prisoners and will cut back his troops in weeks, according to sources.

It is believed they will be replaced by regular soldiers among as many as 300,000 new troops heading to war.