By Matt Murphy
BBC News

Russia appears to have moved to take direct control of Wagner, after months of infighting between defence Official's and the private military group.
Deputy Defence Minister Nikolai Pankov said on Saturday "volunteer formations" will be asked to sign contracts directly with the ministry of defence.
The vaguely worded statement is widely believed to target the group

But in a furious statement on Sunday, Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin said his forces would boycott the contracts

The private military group has played a major role in the war in Ukraine, fighting on the side of Russian forces.
But Prigozhin, who is said to hold political ambitions of his own, has been embroiled in a public dispute with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and military chief Valery Gerasimov for months.
He has repeatedly accused the pair of incompetence and of deliberately undersupplying Wagner units fighting in Ukraine

"Wagner will not sign any contracts with Shoigu," Prigozhin said in response to a request for comment on the defence ministry's announcement. "Shoigu cannot properly manage military formation."
He insisted that his group was well integrated with the Russian military, but said that its effectiveness would be damaged by having to report to the defence minister

While Saturday's announcement did not directly reference Wagner or any other paramilitary groups, Russian media suggested that the new contracts were a move to bring Prigozhin and his forces under control.
But the defence ministry said the move was designed to "increase the effectiveness" of Russian units fighting in Ukraine.
"This will give volunteer formations the necessary legal status, create common approaches to the organization of comprehensive support and the fulfilment of their tasks," the ministry said in a statement, adding that the contracts must be signed by 1 July.

the long-running tensions between the Wagner Group and the army have threatened to boil over in recent weeks. Last week the group kidnapped a senior frontline army commander, Lt Col Roman Venevitin, after accusing him of opening fire on a Wagner vehicle near Bakhmut. Lt Col Venevitin was later released, and in a video shared by Russian military bloggers he accused the group of stoking "anarchy" on Russia's frontlines by stealing arms, forcing mobilised soldiers to sign contracts with the group and attempting to extort weapons from the defence ministry

Prigozhin called the comments - which appeared to be read from a script - "absolutely total nonsense".
He has also suggested that he is ready to deploy his troops on Russian soil, saying on Telegram that Wagner was ready to fight against insurrectionist forces in the Belgorod region.
In December, the US estimated that Wagner had around 50,000 troops fighting in Ukraine.
And the mercenary group has increasingly become a tool of Russian state power around the world. Its troops are currently believed to have been deployed in Mali, the Central African Republic,Sudan and Libya.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65871232



More on the story of Wagner detaining a Russian officer over 'drunk' attack the BBC piece on the story is on the link below

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65809844

A house divided can not stand..
I have never seen a unprofessional military like the over hype Russian military.

A mercenary group detaining an officer, a mercenary group publicy insulting the military leadership..

What a shame, that the Russian famed red army has been turn into a shitshow 😂😂😂

Those wagner group and 16 others military contractors have been infiltrated by the west hence a coup detat is in the

obedience4:
A house divided can not stand..
I have never seen a unprofessional military like the over hype Russian military.

A mercenary group detaining an officer, a mercenary group publicy insulting the military leadership..

What a shame, that the Russian famed red army has been turn into a shitshow 😂😂😂

I dey tell you.
They're so unprofessional that the entire nato can't defeat them. 😂

The same terrorists who destroyed Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya etc have failed woefully before this unprofessional military (UM).

The UM has rendered their 850+ global terrorist camps (called military bases) totally useless.😢

This same UM make you & your likes cry everyday on nairaland. 😆🤣

Boy ukraine remains ruined, donate more salty tears.😭

What Russia should be scared of should be the future, what happens to the wagner group fighters when the Russian war with Ukraine ends? What happens to their arms? What happens when they stop receiving financial aid from Russia after the war? Russia is just riding on a tiger's back, when the tiger finishes killing everything in its front and sees nothing else to kill, it turns on the person riding on its back

oz4real83:
What Russia should be scared of should be the future, what happens to the wagner group fighters when the Russian war with Ukraine ends? What happens to their arms? What happens when they stop receiving financial aid from Russia after the war? Russia is just riding on a tiger's back, when the tiger finishes killing everything in its front and sees nothing else to kill, it turns on the person riding on its back

it been in existence since 2014 before Ukrainian war so it will still exist after it, they have locations in syria and some other African countries

Bossly:







I dey tell you.
They're so unprofessional that the entire nato can't defeat them. 😂

The same terrorists who destroyed Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya etc have failed woefully before this unprofessional military (UM).

The UM has rendered their 850+ global terrorist camps (called military bases) totally useless.😢

This same UM make you & your likes cry everyday on nairaland. 😆🤣

Boy ukraine remains ruined, donate more salty tears.😭

Another banger😂😂😂😂😂. why are you concerned bout Europe warehouses and not Russian weapon houses

tope the he goat, aka UI miscreant.

Keep the tears flowing😭

B¡tch ass n¡gga

temitope:


Another banger😂😂😂😂😂. why are you concerned bout Europe warehouses and not Russian weapon houses

obedience4:
A house divided can not stand..
I have never seen a unprofessional military like the over hype Russian military.

A mercenary group detaining an officer, a mercenary group publicy insulting the military leadership..

What a shame, that the Russian famed red army has been turn into a shitshow 😂😂😂

should I show you video of Iraq veterans abusing USA president and military head in USA destroying their military medals and publicly saying USA wars are for stealing oil and hegemony.

You probably don't watch this events in USA lol.

Many former military men that left like about two hundred held protest.

oz4real83:
What Russia should be scared of should be the future, what happens to the wagner group fighters when the Russian war with Ukraine ends? What happens to their arms? What happens when they stop receiving financial aid from Russia after the war? Russia is just riding on a tiger's back, when the tiger finishes killing everything in its front and sees nothing else to kill, it turns on the person riding on its back

They will be sent to your nation to continue the work they won't be in Russia just like USA military men do.

obedience4:
A house divided can not stand..
I have never seen a unprofessional military like the over hype Russian military.

A mercenary group detaining an officer, a mercenary group publicy insulting the military leadership..

What a shame, that the Russian famed red army has been turn into a shitshow 😂😂😂

such would always happen when you try to beLittle the superiors you met.

it's like inviting an external Auditor, to come assist you guys. Only for the said individual to try rubbish everyone else.

even for police force, e get the kind victory wey you go allow those on ground (locals) to receive praise for; else dem go make your life/work miserable.

Don't forget, without the locals, you, an outsider would find it hard doing your work because you need the locals.

Kingsnairaland:
should I show you video of Iraq veterans abusing USA president and military head in USA destroying their military medals and publicly saying USA wars are for stealing oil and hegemony.

You probably don't watch this events in USA lol.

Many former military men that left like about two hundred held protest.

those people were angry because of how far the USA army have fallen. To them, there used to be a time the USA is much feared. Unlike now.

So imagine being a veteran in the millitary during such days and seeing things happening now, why you no go vex.

Make those who fought for nigeria come see Nigeria today - shey dem go happy ?

oz4real83:
What Russia should be scared of should be the future, what happens to the wagner group fighters when the Russian war with Ukraine ends? What happens to their arms? What happens when they stop receiving financial aid from Russia after the war? Russia is just riding on a tiger's back, when the tiger finishes killing everything in its front and sees nothing else to kill, it turns on the person riding on its back

unlike those that allowed themseles be used by Nigerian PoliThiefCians, these ones are made for battle, and there's always battle to be fought.

When they're not needed for bloodShed, they wouldbe doing peaceKeeping and the likes both locally, and internationally.

Moreover, most ain't Russians to begin with

Redoil:
Those wagner group and 16 others military contractors have been infiltrated by the west hence a coup detat is in the

should you have a clue how Russian government is run, you would understand a coup would be very difficult.

Shey the generals, soldiers, officers, etc know their superiors ?

if it was that easy, the WEST wouldn't be suffering this much to make small impact.

Redoil:
Those wagner group and 16 others military contractors have been infiltrated by the west hence a coup detat is in the

You think Russia is Somalia or Rwanda

Bossly:
tope the he goat, aka UI miscreant.

Keep the tears flowing😭

B¡tch ass n¡gga

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂. As you see superior brain you can't match, you resorted to insults and name calling.

If only your tears could fuel Russia's war efforts, Russia might have had a chance.😂😂😂😂😂😂

I know you've cried a lot but you haven't cried enough 😂😂😂😂.

We donate weapons on this side

Tiopii:



😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂. As you see superior brain you can't match, you resorted to insults and name calling.

If only your tears could fuel Russia's war efforts, Russia might have had a chance.😂😂😂😂😂😂

I know you've cried a lot but you haven't cried enough 😂😂😂😂.

We donate weapons on this side

Na so.

Degenerate gringolandia remains irreversibly doomed.

Chess master Vlad's formula is on point:
Prolonged costly war + dedollarization = great imperial collapse of epic proportions. 😂

Donate more tears 😭
Your rotten gay ass remains ruined like Ukraine. 🤮