The leader of Russia’s Wagner private military company has made it clear that his group will not comply with an order from the country’s defense ministry to sign a formal contract by July 1st. This open defiance from Yevgeny V. Prigozhin is yet another chapter in the ongoing feud between him and Russia’s defense minister, Sergei K. Shoigu. Prigozhin has been criticizing Shoigu and Russia’s military leadership publicly, calling them inefficient bureaucrats that are ruining the country’s operations in Ukraine.
Despite the order, Prigozhin has stated that Wagner is already “organically” integrated with the overall Russian system, with unit commanders from his forces coordinating with Russian generals effectively. He also suggested that the refusal to comply with the order could result in negative consequences for Wagner. However, he made it clear that his forces remain loyal to President Vladimir V. Putin and the Russian state.
The defense ministry has been competing with private military formations like Wagner for talent, as it attempts to recruit more contract soldiers for the ongoing fight in Ukraine. Russia has also been behind Wagner in finding new recruiting methods, as the defense ministry began recruiting from Russian prisons only after Prigozhin did so last year. Despite their differences, Prigozhin assured everyone that Wagner is completely subordinate to the interests of the Russian Federation and the supreme commander in chief.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
