Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov believed the Wagner mercenary group has “disbanded” following the presumed death of its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, in a plane crash in Russia.
“There is no longer, strictly speaking, a Wagner group, as a serious group, as it was a year ago. They have disbanded,” said Reznikov, in an interview with the German weekly Welt am Sonntag to be published on Sunday.
According to the Ukrainian minister, Prigozhin’s alleged disappearance has weakened Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Why has shown the world that if Putin makes a deal with someone and then breaks it, he can no longer be trusted,” Reznikov added.according to pre-released excerpts from the interview.
Since Prigozhin’s presumed death in a plane crash on Wednesday along with other members of the Wagner group’s leadership, speculation has raged over the Kremlin’s possible involvement in the crash of the private jet on the Moscow-St. Petersburg was located. plate.
These allegations were denied by the Russian president’s spokesman, who considered them “an absolute lie”.
Vladimir Putin labeled Prigozhin, whom he had known since the 1990s, a “traitor” for his attempted armed rebellion on June 23-24 against the Russian military leadership, but the businessman was later welcomed to the Kremlin.
The mutiny was stopped through the mediation of Alexander Lukashenko, president of Belarus, where part of the Wagner group moved.
Another part will have included the regular Russian army or other paramilitary companies loyal to the Kremlin.
On Thursday, Vladimir Putin offered his condolences to people close to the victims of the plane crash and promised an investigation “to the end”.
Putin today signed a decree requiring members of paramilitary organizations, like regular army soldiers, to take an oath to Russia, two days after the presumed death of the leader of the Wagner group.
Under the terms of the decree published on the government’s website, elements of paramilitary groups must swear “allegiance” and “loyalty” to Russia and “strictly follow the orders of their commanders and superiors.”
The mercenaries also pledge that they will “sacredly respect the Russian Constitution”, “conscientiously perform the tasks entrusted to them” and “boldly defend the country’s independence and constitutional order”.
The decree covers persons deployed as volunteer combatants, those who “contribute to the performance of tasks assigned to the Russian Armed Forces” and other “military bodies and formations”, including territorial defense forces formed during the conflict in Ukraine .
Mercenary activities are prohibited by law in Russia, but the activities of ‘private military companies’ that officially provide security-related services will be tolerated, with the Wagner group being the most important and most recognized group.
Source: DN
