Law, Power, and Justice

www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/04/29/yevgeny-prigozhin-wagner-group-soon-cease-exist/

Founder of mercenary unit Yevgeny Prigozhin accuses Russian military of hampering his supply of ammunition and manpower

Yevgeny Prigozhin on Saturday said his Wagner Group of mercenaries could soon cease to exist, as he hit out at the Russian military over ammunition supplies.

Western analysts believe Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s defence minister, is trying to stifle Mr Prigozhin’s growing political influence.

Over the course of the conflict in Ukraine the Wagner Group has gone from being a shady Kremlin asset allegedly deployed to do Putin’s dirty work in Syria and Africa – where it has military and mining contracts – to a mainstream militia playing a crucial role in the Ukraine war.

Mr Prigozhin has publicly complained of attempts to minimise Wagner’s roleand belittle its achievements, though the Kremlin has denied a rift.

Earlier this week MPs renewed calls for the group to be classified as a terrorist organisation after a new report found it had played a role in destabilising Sudan.

The cross-party All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sudan accused the Russian company of training troops in Sudan, supplying weapons to the warring factions, and promoting misinformation during the recent pro-democracy protests.