Russia courts new militias as Wagner group takes pause

[Kamaji]

Russia courts new militias as Wagner group takes pause

By Jesse O’Neill
July 31, 2023

The Kremlin is seeking to authorize the creation of new paramilitary companies as Russia’s private Wagner military company said it would scale down its operations following a failed mutiny, in an apparent attempt to protect President Vladimir Putin’s regime from another uprising.

A purported recording of Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin posted on Telegram Monday signaled that the mercenary group would pause recruitment and focus on activities in Africa and Belarus, according to the New York Times.

“As long as we don’t experience a shortage in personnel, we don’t plan to carry out a new recruitment campaign,” the recording reportedly said.

“As soon as the motherland would need to create a new additional group that would be able to defend the interests of our country, we would begin recruiting.”

The new messaging came after the Kremlin-funded paramilitary group staged an armed march toward Moscow in June, a rebellion against the Russian Ministry of Defense for its handling of the war in Ukraine.

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Source:  https://nypost.com/2023/07/31/russia-courts-new-militias-as-wagner-group-takes-pause/