2023-06-11 19:30:00
The Kremlin wants to bring all Russian volunteer organizations in the Ukraine war under its command by order. But the most important refuses.
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the essentials in brief
- The Kremlin wants to bring private military organizations under its command.
- Defense Minister Pankow made a corresponding announcement.
- But the most important of these associations, the Wagner troupe, refuses.
All these units must sign a contract with the agency by July 1, Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov said in Moscow. There are now more than 40 volunteer associations whose legal status should be secured in this way.
The head of the Russian private army Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, announced on Sunday that he refused to sign such a contract. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu can make decisions regarding the ministry and the soldiers. This is what Prigozhin said in a voice message published on his Telegram channel.
However, the minister has not yet been able to lead his own troops. Wagner will therefore not sign any contracts with Shoigu. It might be that Wagner would not receive any weapons or ammunition, but only until the ministry needed the help of the private army.
Ukraine war: Prigozhin bows only to Putin
At the same time, Prigozhin emphasized that he is subordinate to President Vladimir Putin as commander-in-chief and to the interests of Russia. On the other hand, he had previously accused Shoigu and the Russian Chief of Staff Valeri Gerasimov of incompetence in view of a large number of defeats.
Prigozhin said his mercenary army was determining combat missions in coordination with Gerasimov’s deputy Sergey Surovikin. Surovikin is smart, experienced and stands for a high degree of effectiveness and success. There was initially no reaction from the official side in Moscow to Prigozhin’s refusal. As a close confidante of Putin in Russia, Prigozhin is considered untouchable.
Do you think that Putin will still be head of the Kremlin at the end of the Ukraine war?
With the integration of the units into the Ministry, the military possibilities and the effective use of the fighters should be improved. That was what Schoigu’s deputy Pankow had said. The troops might then also be better equipped, it said. However, there are repeated complaints from Russian soldiers regarding inadequate equipment.
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