The Kremlin, on Friday (July 14) said that it will review the legal status of the private Wagner mercenary group after Russian President Vladimir Putin argued that it had no legal basis. Meanwhile, Wagner group’s fighters who were reported to be in Belarus after their chief’s aborted mutiny in Moscow, were shown training soldiers southeast of Minsk.
What did the Kremlin say?
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the legal status of groups like Wagner is “rather complicated”. This comes a day after Putin told Kommersant newspaper that the aborted mutiny by the Russian mercenary group last month does not legally “exist” since there is no Russian law about private military companies.
During the press briefing, Peskov also spoke about how, given the complication of their legal status, there is a need to study and consider the issue. When asked about the possibility of new legislation about the status of private military companies, the Kremlin spokesperson said, “This question will at least be under consideration.”
On June 24, Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin announced a coup against the Kremlin amid growing discontent with the top Russian defence officials. The group’s fighters took control of Rostov-on-Don but did not proceed further saying that they wanted to avoid “shedding Russian blood”.
They also agreed to live in exile in Belarus but the fighters including their chief who has not been seen in public since. Putin also told the Kommersant he offered the Wagner group to continue fighting for Russia but suggested Prigozhin be removed and the group operate under a different commander.
This week, the Russian defence ministry said that Wagner was in the midst of completing the transfer of its weapons to the regular army as a part of the deal with the Kremlin which ended the mutiny.
Wagner fighters in Belarus
In what is being seen as a first indication that at least a part of the deal with Russia to end the mutiny might be implemented, Belarus, said their soldiers are being trained by the group’s fighters at a military range.
Two sources close to the fighters told Reuters on condition of anonymity that some mercenaries have been seen since at least Tuesday. This comes as part of a Kremlin-struck deal under which Prigozhin stood down, and agreed to move to Belarus and in exchange Russia dropped mutiny charges against them.
So far, there had been no signs of Wagner fighters in Belarus. However, the Belarusian defence ministry’s television channel aired footage and said, “Wagner fighters acted as instructors in a number of military disciplines.” The ministry released a video showing what it said was at a military range near the town of Osipovichi.
(With inputs from agencies)
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