"China above all would like to see stability. It’s becoming increasingly apparent that China would like this war to end as soon as possible, but instability in Russia would not be to China’s advantage," said Meia Nouwens of the Institute for International Strategic Studies.
"We and our allies are asking [questions] about what situations may evolve as a direct repercussion of this very public attack on Putin's authority by one of his protegees and closest allies," said James Cleverly, UK Foreign Secretary.
Explore how networked warfare, AI, and 3D-printed drones are reshaping US Indo-Pacific strategy.
Some 50,000 Wagner fighters are currently in Ukraine, mostly poorly trained convicts, costing over $100 million per month, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said.
The Wagner Group is one of several armed factions that rarely coordinate with Russia's mainline military forces - and more may be forming.
"Russia is very stretched ... as they're doing what they're doing in Ukraine so I don't think they have a lot of bandwidth to launch new adventures in Africa," said AFRICOM commander Stephen Townsend.
"They bring just destabilization [and] instability wherever they go. They leave countries less secure and poorer when they leave. They benefit from governmental instability in Africa," said Rear Adm. Milton Sands.
As aircraft shrink, threats expand, and technology accelerates, aircraft engines must iterate along with the threats.
Intelligence sources say Russians have pulled out of key Syrian facilities, and Syria has welcomed advisers from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in their place.
On Feb. 17, an almost decade-long French mission in Mali ended, with Russia's Wagner Group stepping into the void. But France remains dedicated to the CT mission in Africa, officials say.