Kadyrov claims that the Wagner group, which fought alongside Russian soldiers in Ukraine, achieved “impressive results” and proved that private military companies are an important initiative. The leader said that: “One day I will establish a military company like the Wagner force”
The leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, who is considered one of the closest allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said yesterday (Sunday) that one day he plans to establish his own private military company, in the style of Wagner’s mercenary group. This is reported by the Reuters news agency. Kadyrov claims that the Wagner group, which fought alongside Russian soldiers in Ukraine, achieved “impressive results” and proved that private military companies are an important initiative that will help Russia and other countries eliminate nests of terrorism and illegal opposition.
“We can say with confidence that the ‘Wagner group’ has shown high capabilities in military terms, it certainly draws a line and presents a role model if we come to discuss the question of whether military companies of this type are necessary or not. Kadyrov, who heads the Chechen Republic already above From a decade and a half he added and explained himself: “When my service to the country is over, I seriously plan to compete with our dear brother Yevgeny Prigozhin and create a private military company,” said Kadyrov, 46 years old.
Kadyrov and Prigozhin lead forces in Ukraine that operate largely independently of Russia’s military command. Both men are staunch allies of Putin, but they have also spoken out publicly against Russia’s military leadership.
The rise of the ‘Wagner Group’ outside the traditional command structures of the Russian military has raised concerns among Western diplomats that such groups could one day pose a threat to stability in Russia. The Wagner group is playing an increasingly prominent role in Russia’s war in Ukraine, leading a months-long assault on the eastern Donetsk city of Bakhmut.
Kadyrov – the son of the former president of Chechnya, Akhmed Kadyrov, who was murdered in an attack about 20 years ago in the Grozny region of Chechnya – formed a silent alliance with Prigozhin. They echoed each other’s criticism of the Russian army. Both are publicly and impartially calling for the removal of senior Russian security officials for their failure to manage the war in Ukraine.
Reuters notes that there is mounting evidence that the Kremlin has begun to curb what it sees as Prigozhin’s excessive political power, ordering him to stop his public criticism of the Defense Ministry. In addition, Putin’s regime instructed the state media to stop mentioning Prigozhin or the ‘Wagner force’ in reports in the Russian media.