Prigozhin confidant in the Kremlin
Wagner commander builds combat units for Putin
September 29, 2023, 9:33 a.m
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Russian President Vladimir Putin commissions a former confidant of the late mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin to set up new volunteer units. These should “of course” be used in Ukraine.
The former leading commander of the Wagner mercenaries, Andrei Troschew, is now working for the Russian Ministry of Defense. President Vladimir Putin met with him and Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, presidential office spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to the RIA agency. The conversation was about how volunteer associations can be used in Ukraine. Putin asked Troshev to “oversee the creation of volunteer units that can take on various tasks, primarily of course in the zone of special military operations” in Ukraine.
The meeting underscores Moscow’s efforts to integrate the Wagner mercenaries into Russia’s regular army. Troshev, whose nickname “Sedoy” means gray-haired, has the experience to carry out the task entrusted to him, Putin said. The highly decorated retired colonel is considered one of the founders of the Wagner group and is on a European Union sanctions list because of his role as a mercenary leader in Syria.
The Wagner mercenaries led by Yevgeny Prigozhin were an important support for the regular Russian army in its war against Ukraine and were mainly deployed in the east. However, Prigozhin led a brief mutiny on June 23 and 24 out of displeasure with the top military and defense ministry. He refused to subordinate his units to the ministry.
Mercenaries apparently back in Bakhmut
On August 23, Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin, the two founders of the mercenary group, died in a plane crash. Many Wagner mercenaries went to Belarus after the mutiny. Some of them are said to have already returned to Ukraine. The spokesman for the Ukrainian military’s Army Group East, Ilya Yevlash, said this to the media in Kiev a few days ago. While some of the mercenaries went to Africa, others concluded new contracts with Russia’s Defense Ministry and were taking part in combat operations again.
According to British intelligence experts, the mercenaries who returned to Ukraine will be used in the battles for the city of Bakhmut. This was suggested by several reports, according to the Defense Ministry’s daily intelligence report in London. In Bakhmut, Wagner had achieved success for the Russian invasion troops in battles with heavy losses in May. “Their experience is likely to be particularly sought after in this sector. Many will be familiar with the current front line, having fought there last winter,” the statement said.