President Vladimir Putin has issued a decree calling on employees of Wagner and other Russian private military contractors to pledge their allegiance to the Russian state. This decree applies to individuals involved in military operations in Ukraine, supporting the army, and serving in territorial defense units. Putin signed the decree with immediate effect on Friday, just two days after the presumed deaths of Wagner leaders in a plane crash.

Described in the decree as a measure to strengthen the spiritual and moral foundations of Russia’s defense, the oath’s wording includes a commitment to strictly follow orders from commanders and senior leaders. This directive is seen as a veiled message to military intelligence to identify and prosecute Wagner fighters.

The move is also seen as a clear signal to the fighters themselves. They are presented with a choice: take the oath and remain armed or disarm and abide by the conditions. Failure to comply could lead to imprisonment.

Several weeks before the failed uprising led by Yevgeny Prigozhin in June, the Russian defense ministry mandated that mercenary groups sign army contracts by July 1. Prigozhin declined, as he opposed having his Wagner Group operate under the ministry’s authority.

While the absence of a clear leader might raise questions about the impact on Wagner fighters, experts have differing views. Petro Burkovskyi of the Democratic Initiatives Foundation suggests that trained and experienced fighters could be valuable assets to the Russian army. He notes that many are career military personnel and might not be overly concerned about the specifics of where, whom, and for whom they fight, as long as they receive special treatment under Putin’s orders.

On the other hand, Natia Seskuria of the Royal United Services Institute believes that those loyal to Prigozhin might pose challenges in the long run. She suggests that the decree’s message is clear: adhere to the rules or face a fate similar to Prigozhin’s. This approach might yield short-term results, but Seskuria cautions that Prigozhin’s devoted supporters within Wagner could potentially create problems for Putin over time.

Amidst these developments, drone attacks targeted Moscow and the Belgorod regions. These attacks were successfully intercepted by Russian air defense systems, resulting in no casualties or damage. Flights at Moscow’s main airports were temporarily suspended. Additionally, shelling from Russia in the Ukrainian village near Kupiansk resulted in two fatalities and one injury, with a cafe being hit. Moscow attributed the shelling and drone attacks to Ukraine, while Kyiv has not yet commented, as they rarely claim responsibility for attacks within Russia.

Source: BBC NEWS