Russian President Vladimir Putin recently held a meeting with Andrey Troshev, a retired colonel and former chief of staff of the Wagner paramilitary group. During this encounter, Putin requested that Troshev take the lead in assembling voluntary military units to support Moscow’s “special military operation” in Ukraine, as disclosed by the Kremlin on Friday.

The meeting, which featured the participation of Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, unfolded on Thursday evening within the Kremlin premises, as outlined in an official statement from the presidency’s press service.

Putin specifically tasked Troshev with the creation of volunteer units capable of executing diverse combat missions within the operation area. Putin acknowledged Troshev’s extensive experience, having served in such a unit for over a year, and his profound understanding of the preconditions essential for ensuring the utmost effectiveness and success of combat operations.

Of note, Troshev had distanced himself from Evgeny Prigozhin’s short-lived armed rebellion against Moscow in June. Presently, it is reported that Troshev collaborates with the Defense Ministry, as confirmed by presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Following the unsuccessful mutiny, on June 29, Putin convened a three-hour meeting with 35 Wagner commanders, extending an invitation for them to continue their service within the military under Troshev’s leadership. Regrettably, Prigozhin declined the offer.

It is worth mentioning that on August 23, a private aircraft en route from Moscow to St. Petersburg experienced a crash in Russia’s Tver region, resulting in the tragic loss of all occupants, including Prigozhin and Wagner military commander Dmitry Utkin.

Source: with agencies