Kremlin increases control over Wagner Group by incorporating into Rosgvardia
Photo: Russian dictator Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
British Ministry of Defense informs that the Kremlin has managed to strengthen control over the mercenaries of the Wagner Private Military Company following a rebellion by their former leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin. Some of the mercenaries have been integrated into the Russian National Guard, Rosgvardia.
According to the summary, on December 25, 2023, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin signed a law allowing the Rosgvardia to create its own volunteer formations. It is already known that Rosgvardia has incorporated three former assault units of the Wagner PMC - the 15th, 16th, and 17th - into its first so-called Volunteer Corps.
British intelligence suggests that Rosgvardia is likely to deploy its new volunteer detachments in Ukraine and Africa. It is reported that Rosgvardia is offering volunteers six-month contracts for participation in the war against Ukraine and nine-month contracts for service in Africa.
"The incorporation of former Wagner assault detachments into Rosgvardia's Volunteer Corps highly likely indicates that Wagner has been successfully subordinated to Rosgvardia, increasing the Russian state's command and control over the Wagner group," the summary states.
Rebellion and death of Prigozhin
In June 2023, former leader of the Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, organized a rebellion against the Russian military leadership. He headed toward Moscow but never reached the capital of Russia.
Prigozhin's rebellion lasted just over a day. After that, the Wagner PMC was effectively disbanded, and some of the mercenaries were sent to Belarus, along with Prigozhin himself.
On August 23, a plane crashed in the Tver region of the Russian Federation. Later, it became known that the crash involved a business jet. The Russian aviation authority reported the leader of the Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin was on board, along with commanders and fighters of his PMC.
Later, on August 27, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation officially confirmed that Prigozhin died in the plane crash.
The deceased leader of the Wagnerites was secretly buried in the Prokhorov cemetery in St. Petersburg. The farewell allegedly took place in a closed format.
