President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree stating all employees of Wagner and other Russian private military contractors to pledge their loyalty to the Russian state. This call to allegiance applies to individuals engaged in military activities in Ukraine, including those aiding the army and serving in territorial defense units. The decree, signed and enacted on Friday, holds immediate effect. This development arrives just two days subsequent to the presumed demise of Wagner leaders due to a plane crash.
In a distinct turn of events on Saturday, Rusich, a far-right subset of Wagner, announced the cessation of military operations in Ukraine. Rusich, through a Telegram post, criticized Russia’s foreign ministry for not safeguarding Yan Petrovsky, a founding member of the group who got arrested in Finland due to visa violations and faces extradition to Ukraine.
This development arises as Wagner’s mercenaries find themselves without a clear leader, following the crash of a plane that presumably carried Yevgeny Prigozhin and other leaders, resulting in the tragic demise of all 10 individuals on board. Described as a measure to reinforce the ethical and spiritual basis of Russia’s defense, the oath included in the decree mandates strict compliance with commanders’ orders.
In the weeks before Prigozhin’s failed uprising in June, Russia’s defense ministry extended an ultimatum for mercenary groups to sign army contracts by July 1. Prigozhin opposed this move, as he didn’t want Wagner to operate under the ministry’s purview. Putin supported the ministry’s contract scheme, marking a public falling-out with his long-standing ally Prigozhin, which subsequently led to Prigozhin’s mutiny.
