2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
The Times claimed that during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which started on 24 February 2022, the Wagner Group flew in more than 400 contractors from Africa in mid- to late-January on a mission to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his government, and thus to prepare the ground for Russia to take control. The Ukrainian government received information in this regard early on 26 February, after which it declared a 36-hour "hard" curfew to sweep the capital for "Russian saboteurs".[33] The previous day, the government claimed its forces had killed 60 saboteurs in Kyiv who were posing as a territorial defence unit.[481] Soon after the government received the information, heavy fighting erupted in western and northeastern Kyiv,[482] with Ukraine claiming to have repelled an attack on a military base.[483] By the morning, Ukrainian forces had secured the capital.[484] The United States described Russian forces that entered Kyiv as "reconnaissance elements".[485] Others described the clashes as a result of infighting between the security forces and dissident groups, as well clashes between recently armed civilians.[486] Two days later, a US official stated, there were "some indications" that Wagner was being employed, but it was not clear where or how much[487].