There is no longer any doubt that relations are no longer in good shape between the Russian army and Wagner. Evidenced by the many criticisms of Yevgeny Prigojine, the boss of the militia, on the Russian command. A new element would confirm the tensions between the two entities.
A note was found on the body of a Russian soldier in Ukraine. It lists eight rules of conduct addressed to soldiers by the command of the army. Alex Kokcharov, a risk analyst specializing in Russia, shared the instructions that would be on the paper. However, he specifies that he is not completely sure of the veracity of the image, shared on Telegram.
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‘Refer to Ukrainian troops only as Nazis’, ‘Tell civilians in ‘liberated areas’ that Russia is here forever”, ‘Wear appropriate dress’, ‘be reserved’: ‘obvious’ rules of propaganda and good behavior, but “some points are surprising”, expresses the expert. And in particular rule number 6 by which soldiers are summoned to present themselves as Wagner fighters if they make mistakes, such as “traffic accidents, being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or harming civilians” . “In the event of incidents, identify yourself as a fighter of the Wagner group”, it is written.
Here are the eight enacted rules that would be on the note:
1. Wear appropriate attire, do not wear patches or other insignia identifying your unit.
2. Be reserved when dealing with civilians in “liberated areas”, do not seek contact with them, do not accept food or other items from them
3. Use the first person plural: US.
4. Tell civilians in the “liberated areas” that Russia is here forever and advise them to use only official Russian sources of information.
5. Refer to Ukrainian troops only as Nazis/Nationalists, Militants, Invaders.
6. In the event of incidents, identify yourself as a fighter of the Wagner group.
7. The military are not prohibited from occupying empty accommodation in the “liberated areas” but only if it is confirmed that the residents are no longer present. The same goes for vehicles.
8. Any statement regarding the military and political leadership of Russia should be only positive.