The leader of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, assured this Sunday that he will never sign a cooperation contract with the Russian army, which would be a condition for the integration of “volunteer” fighters into the ranks.
In yet another sign of his removal from Russian Defense Minister Serguei Shoigu, Prigozhin understands that this order applies only to the ministry’s fighters and not to his organization before guaranteeing that he will always comply with the orders of Vladimir Putin as President of Russia and Commander of the Armed Forces.
“Wagner is absolutely and completely subservient to the interests of the Russian Federation and the Supreme Commander,” Prigozhin said in a message published on the Telegram social network. Gerasimov, who has led the Russian invasion of Ukraine in recent months.
On Saturday, Russia’s Defense Ministry ordered volunteers to sign contracts before July 1, “in an effort to provide necessary legal status and extend social protection and support measures to volunteers and their families.”
“Unfortunately, most military units are not that efficient, and precisely because Shoigu cannot lead the military formations as he should,” Prigozhin complained.
“Therefore, the fact that he writes decrees or orders applies only to the Ministry of Defense and those who are part of the Ministry of Defense,” he repeated.
Source: DN
