Wagner mercenary group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin (right) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (left).
Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images/Contributor
Wagner Group head Yevgeny Priogzhin rejected Vladimir Putin’s push to have mercenaries sign contracts with the Russian army.
He said his fighters will not “go down the path of shame again,” according to the UK intelligence.
Priogzhin has been a harsh critic of the Russian Military of Defense and Putin’s handling of the war in Ukraine.
Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Priogzhin is rejecting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s push to force mercenary fighters with the group to sign official contracts with the Russian Army, UK intelligence said in a Thursday update.
“None of Wagner’s fighters are ready to go down the path of shame again. That is why they will not sign the contracts,” Priogzhin said, according to the UK’s Ministry of Defense.
On June 10, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that “volunteer formations” like Wagner Group fighters must sign official contracts with the Russian Army, the UK intel sources said. Putin on Tuesday endorsed the move on TV.
Wagner fighters were on the frontlines of fighting in Ukraine and suffered heavy losses while Priogzhin complained that they were not getting support or ammo from Russia.
The UK update added that Priogzhin “has been aiming vitriolic criticism” at the Russian military but had until now deferred to Putin’s rulings.
—Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) June 15, 2023
As Insider previously reported, Russia is working to get a handle on Priogzhin and his Wagner Group, who have been fighting alongside Russia in their monthslong war in Ukraine.
One expert described the relationship between the Russian army and the Wagner Group as “dysfunctional.”