The Russian mercenary group Wagner Group has suspended its recruitment activities for a month. According to The Moscow Times newspaper, which relies on Wagner’s recruiting channel on the Telegram messaging app, the suspension is linked to his “temporary non-participation” in the war in Ukraine and his move to Belarus.
It is another indication that Vladimir Putin is serious about reducing the mercenaries even further. Earlier, the news websites of Prigozhin’s media group Patriot were shut down, and some Russian media reported that the Prigozhin Internet Research Agency troll factory, from which it spread fake news on behalf of the Kremlin, was also shut down.
The hiring freeze could last more than a month: This weekend the Wagner emblem was removed from the roof of St. Petersburg’s brand new hiring office. On the Telegram channel, the organization wrote that the center “will continue its work for the benefit of our homeland.”
Different narrative
The Moscow Times also reports that Prigozhin has been covered by the Russian media. For example, one of Russia’s best-known Kremlin propagandists said on his weekly TV show on Sunday that Prigozhin has been “derailed” by the billions in government aid he has received. And that he thought he was immune because he could do his business with impunity in Africa.
Loose
According to American media reports, the overseas Wagner empire is also being dissolved or brought under Russian control. For example, Russian officials are said to have traveled to Syria and Mali, among others, to agree new rules of the game. And some Wagner commanders were allegedly arrested by the Russian military in Syria.
Belarus
According to the deal reached last week by Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko, Wagner mercenaries in Ukraine can join the Russian army or follow their leader Prigozhin to Belarus. Satellite images and intelligence show that a tent camp with a capacity of 6,000 men has sprung up under the smoke of the Belarusian capital Minsk.
Train
The Belarusian president has invited mercenaries from the Wagner group to train his army, reports the US channel CNN. During a speech on Friday to mark Belarusian Independence Day, the president hinted at this, according to Belarusian news agency Belta. “Unfortunately, they (Wagner’s mercenaries) are not here,” Lukashenko said. “And if, as I have already told them, their instructors come to pass on their combat experience to us, we will accept it.”
In his speech on Friday, Lukashenko said he is not afraid of Wagner group members because he “has known them for a long time”. “These are people who fought all over the world to build a normal civilization. The West hates them to the core,” he said. Earlier this week, Lukashenko said he persuaded Putin not to “destroy” the Wagner group and its leader Prigozhin. He claimed he “would be crushed like a insect” if Wagner’s troops had not stopped their advance on Moscow.
Meanwhile, Prigozhin’s whereabouts are still unclear. Leader Wagner was last seen leaving the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don on Saturday, before explaining his decision to withdraw his troops in an audio message the following Monday. Although Lukashenko said Prigozhin arrived in Belarus that Tuesday, there are no videos or photos of this.
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Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
