Wagner's PMC recruited the Russian terrorist Girkin, who also “has a crush” on the official Kremlin.
The influence of “Chef Putin” is growing rapidly in Russia Evgenia Prigozhin. So much so that its military structure may threaten Putin's regime in the future. Analysts of the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) write about this in their report for October 24.
“Prygozhin continues to gain power and creates a military structure parallel to the Russian armed forces, which can become a threat to Putin's rule – at least in the information space. Russian tabloids have reported that Prigozhin is sponsoring the formation of a volunteer battalion at the Wagner base, recruited by Russian war criminal and former FSB officer Igor Girkin, the ISW report said. – Millbloggers note that the structure of the Russian Armed Forces for a long time did not allow Ghirkin to form his own volunteer battalion due to lack of supplies and other bureaucratic restrictions, while Prigozhin can afford the luxury of leading Wagner's forces without direct control from the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD).
Read also: Forbes: “Wagner's mercenaries” seek power in the Kremlin
Experts of the institute emphasize that Prigozhin occupies an exceptionally advantageous position in the Russian state structure and information space, and this allows him to expand his electorate in Russia faster than the higher military command of the Russian Federation. He can freely promote himself and his troops, criticizing Kremlin officials and the Russian army.
“Putin is dependent on Wagner's forces in Bakhmut and is likely trying to appease Prigozhin, despite Prigozhin undermining regular Russian forces. Prigozhin, for example, in one of the interviews sarcastically stated that he was building the “Wagner line” so that the armed forces of Russia, which are “hiding behind Wagner's backs”, would feel safe,” experts of the Institute note.
Read also: “Putin's cook” Prigozhin can indirectly undermine the Kremlin's rule – ISW
Despite the privileged rights, Prigozhin is practically not responsible for anything, which makes his position even more advantageous. He does not manage any axis in Ukraine and is not responsible for bureaucratic work.
ISW also notes that Prigozhin is believed to have distanced himself from Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov after their joint criticism of the Russian high command attracted a lot of attention. This may indicate that Kadyrov is losing influence and authority and may fear losing control of the Chechen Republic amid growing disapproval among the Chechen public of his demands to support Putin's war.
Also read: Wagner PMC likely to tries to implicitly criticize the Russian Ministry of Defense – ISW
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Recall, as reported by the Washington Post, in the Bakhmut area, “Wagner” mercenaries are waging a senseless battle for Prigozhin's political ambitions. Ukrainian soldiers say that the enemy is suffering heavy losses because his command does not treat soldiers as human beings, but there are also many dead and wounded on the Ukrainian side.
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