Kremlin is trying to take control of Wagner PMC militants, - ISW

The Kremlin may try to take formal control over the Wagner PMC fighters after its armed mutiny and turn it into a state entity.

This is reported with reference to the ISW report.

According to ISW experts, the Russian authorities decided to assume control over Wagner’s activities abroad. It is reported that Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin reportedly flew to Damascus to tell Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that Wagner will no longer operate as an independent organization in Syria and that Wagner personnel reported to the Russian military base in Latakia.

It is also reported that Russian Foreign Ministry representatives also reportedly told Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadera and Malian leadership that Wagner will continue operations in their respective countries.

The nationalization of Wagner would likely aid in the Russian Ministry of Defense’s effort to subsume existing Wagner personnel into the regular Russian Armed Forces through contracts. The nationalization of Wagner would not likely dramatically disrupt its foreign activities.

As a reminder the leader of the Wagner PMC agreed with Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko to transfer fighters to field camps in Belarus after the end of the mutiny. ISW believes that the agreement reached between Prigozhin and the Kremlin, mediated by Lukashenko, has not yet been finally agreed upon.

Author – Anastasiya Glotova, 30/06/2023