Prigozhin's conflict with Russian army leaders enters decisive phase

The head of the Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, refused to sign contracts with the Russian military, despite Vladimir Putin's order. The key date will be July 1.

This was reported by the UK Ministry of Defense on Twitter.

As noted in the summary, on 10 June 2023, the Russian MoD demanded that members of ‘volunteers formations’ such as Wagner Group sign contracts directly with the MoD, a move explicitly endorsed by President Putin on TV on 13 June 2023.

According to British intelligence, for several months, Wagner owner Yevgeny Prigozhin has been aiming vitriolic criticism at the MoD hierarchy but deferred to Putin’s authority.

However, despite Putin's comments, on June 14, Prigozhin stated that " none of Wagner's fighters are ready to go down the path of shame again. That's why they will not sign the contracts".

"Prigozhin’s rhetoric is evolving into defiance of broader sections of the Russian establishment. 01 July 2023, the deadline for the volunteers to sign contracts, is likely to be a key way-point in the feud," the British Ministry of Defense concluded.

Author – Anastasiya Glotova, 15/06/2023