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Russian President Vladimir put it in On Tuesday he said he supported a Defense Ministry order for mercenary groups fighting in Ukraine to sign contracts with them before July 1, something the prominent Wagner Group strongly rejected.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of Wagner and Russia’s most powerful mercenary, said his group would not sign a contract, citing what he sees as an inability defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, someone Prigozhin Again and again, to manage groups like him.
But Putin made clear on Tuesday that he wants all alleged private military companies to be registered, and that he also wants to change the law to legalize their activities.
“This is the only way to guarantee social guarantees (for mercenary fighters) because there is (currently) no contract with the state and no contract with the Ministry of Defense,” Putin told a group of war correspondents.
“This must be done, and it must be done as soon as possible,” Putin said.
The new contract system would more closely integrate Wagner and Prigozhin, seen by some government officials as reckless but effective defectors, into the Defense Ministry’s command structure in a subordinate position.
This would make it difficult for Prigozhin to build up his political and military influence, something he spent months doing while receiving military equipment and ammunition from the army.
Putin’s intervention on the part of the Defense Ministry could potentially put Prigozhin in a difficult position, as the ministry has said such contracts are required to give volunteer groups the “necessary legal status” to operate.
STANDOFF
Prigozhin said earlier on Tuesday he was not sure whether his men would continue to fight in Ukraine amid the bitter standoff with the Defense Ministry, with which he has long been at odds over what he says is everything from poor leadership and tactics to ammunition shortages. .
The ministry did not respond to a request for comment on Prigozhin’s refusal to sign with her. Nor has she publicly commented on his harsh criticism of her performance.
Wagner’s fighters have proven to be among Russia’s most effective in Ukraine despite suffering heavy losses. Any attempt by him to withdraw from the war – what Moscow calls a “special military operation” – could be seen by officials in Moscow as a betrayal.
The Defense Department laid out the contracts, which it wants to sign by July 1, as a step toward greater integration aimed at increasing the combat capability and effectiveness of such groups within the regular army and has spoken of “unified approaches” to military missions.
On Tuesday, the Zvezda TV channel of the Ministry of Defense aired a report that said that three unnamed volunteer brigades and four volunteer units had signed contracts with the ministry.
Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev said after the signing ceremony that he was sure that other groups of volunteers would sign the same contract over the next week.
On Monday, the Defense Ministry said it had also signed a contract with the Akhmat Group of Chechen Special Forces, which is often called the private army of Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Russia’s Chechnya region.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of Wagner and Russia’s most powerful mercenary, said his group would not sign a contract, citing what he sees as an inability defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, someone Prigozhin Again and again, to manage groups like him.
But Putin made clear on Tuesday that he wants all alleged private military companies to be registered, and that he also wants to change the law to legalize their activities.
“This is the only way to guarantee social guarantees (for mercenary fighters) because there is (currently) no contract with the state and no contract with the Ministry of Defense,” Putin told a group of war correspondents.
“This must be done, and it must be done as soon as possible,” Putin said.
The new contract system would more closely integrate Wagner and Prigozhin, seen by some government officials as reckless but effective defectors, into the Defense Ministry’s command structure in a subordinate position.
This would make it difficult for Prigozhin to build up his political and military influence, something he spent months doing while receiving military equipment and ammunition from the army.
Putin’s intervention on the part of the Defense Ministry could potentially put Prigozhin in a difficult position, as the ministry has said such contracts are required to give volunteer groups the “necessary legal status” to operate.
STANDOFF
Prigozhin said earlier on Tuesday he was not sure whether his men would continue to fight in Ukraine amid the bitter standoff with the Defense Ministry, with which he has long been at odds over what he says is everything from poor leadership and tactics to ammunition shortages. .
The ministry did not respond to a request for comment on Prigozhin’s refusal to sign with her. Nor has she publicly commented on his harsh criticism of her performance.
Wagner’s fighters have proven to be among Russia’s most effective in Ukraine despite suffering heavy losses. Any attempt by him to withdraw from the war – what Moscow calls a “special military operation” – could be seen by officials in Moscow as a betrayal.
The Defense Department laid out the contracts, which it wants to sign by July 1, as a step toward greater integration aimed at increasing the combat capability and effectiveness of such groups within the regular army and has spoken of “unified approaches” to military missions.
On Tuesday, the Zvezda TV channel of the Ministry of Defense aired a report that said that three unnamed volunteer brigades and four volunteer units had signed contracts with the ministry.
Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev said after the signing ceremony that he was sure that other groups of volunteers would sign the same contract over the next week.
On Monday, the Defense Ministry said it had also signed a contract with the Akhmat Group of Chechen Special Forces, which is often called the private army of Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Russia’s Chechnya region.
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