Andrei Troshev, a senior Wagner commander identified by his callsign “Sedoi”, attends a reception to rejoice Heroes of Fatherland Day on the Kremlin, in Moscow, Russia, December 9, 2016, on this nonetheless picture taken from video. Kremlin.ru/Handout through REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights
MOSCOW, Sept 29 (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin was on Friday proven assembly one of the vital senior former commanders of the Wagner mercenary group and discussing how finest to make use of “volunteer units” within the Ukraine war.
The assembly underscored the Kremlin’s try to point out that the state had now gained management over the mercenary group after a failed June mutiny by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who was killed with different senior commanders in a airplane crash in August.
Just days after the Wagner’s mutiny, Putin provided the mercenaries the chance to maintain combating however advised that commander Andrei Troshev take over from Prigozhin, Russia’s Kommersant newspaper has reported.
The Kremlin stated that Putin had met with Troshev, who is thought by his nom de guerre “Sedoi” – or “grey hair” – and Deputy Defence Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, who sat closest to Putin, on Thursday night time.
Addressing Troshev, Putin stated that that they had spoken about how “volunteer units that can perform various combat tasks, above all, of course, in the zone of the special military operation.”
“You yourself have been fighting in such a unit for more than a year,” Putin stated. “You know what it is, how it is done, you know about the issues that need to be resolved in advance so that the combat work goes in the best and most successful way.”
Putin additionally stated that he needed to talk about social help for these concerned within the combating. The assembly came about within the Kremlin and was proven on state tv.
Troshev was proven listening to Putin, leaning ahead and nodding, pencil in hand. His remarks weren’t proven.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov advised the RIA information company that Troshev now labored on the defence ministry.
The destiny of Wagner, one of many world’s most battle-hardened mercenary forces, has been unclear since Prigozhin’s failed June 23 mutiny and his demise on Aug. 23.
The aborted mutiny is broadly regarded to have posed probably the most severe inside problem to Putin – and to the Russian state – for many years. Prigozhin stated the mutiny was not geared toward toppling Putin however at settling scores with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov.
After Prigozhin’s demise, Putin ordered Wagner fighters to signal an oath of allegiance to the Russian state – a step Prigozhin had opposed.
The Putin assembly seems to point that what stays of Wagner will now be overseen by Troshev and Yevkurov, who has travelled over current months to a number of nations the place the mercenaries work.
A embellished veteran of Russia’s wars in Afghanistan and Chechnya and a former commander within the SOBR inside ministry speedy response power, Troshev is from St Petersburg, Putin’s house city, and has been pictured with the president.
He was awarded Russia’s highest medal, Hero of Russia, in 2016 for the storming of Palmyra in Syria towards Islamic State militants.
Reporting by Reuters; modifying by Guy Faulconbridge
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