Against the background of the dispute with the Wagner mercenary group, Moscow has contracted the “Achmat” unit of Chechen ruler Kadyrov as the first private army. Wagner boss Prigozhin had sharply criticized Russia’s warfare.
The Russian Defense Ministry has contracted its first private army. According to a press release, the document was signed between the ministry and the special unit “Achmat”. “Achmat” is the combat unit of Chechen ruler Ramzan Kadyrov.
“Akhmat” commander Apty Alaudinov, who attended the signing ceremony, said the unit had prepared and sent tens of thousands of volunteers to Ukraine over the past 15 months, according to the Reuters news agency. “I think that’s a very good thing,” Alaudinov was quoted as saying on the Defense Ministry’s website after the deal was signed. Moscow announced on Friday that the “Achmat” forces were conducting an offensive near the town of Maryinka in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.
Wagner Group does not want to give up power
At the weekend, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that he wanted to take command of all private armies fighting on the Moscow side. To this end, the voluntary associations should sign contracts with his ministry by July 1st. The organizations were then given legal status and the same state benefits as regular units of the armed forces, the ministry said. The aim is to improve the military capabilities and the effective use of fighters and to better equip the troops. The families of injured or killed fighters also received financial support, it said.
The head of the Wagner troupe, the oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, has already announced that his group will not sign such contracts. He justified his step by saying that Minister Shoigu was hardly in a position to lead the regular troops properly. It is possible that Wagner will not receive any weapons or ammunition because of the non-signature – but only until the ministry needs the help of the private army, Prigozhin said on Telegram.
Prigozhin and Kadyrov argue publicly
For months, the Wagner Group, which was active on behalf of Moscow in the area of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, has been arguing with the Russian Ministry of Defense over competencies. Prigozhin repeatedly accused Shoigu of missing arms deliveries. In tandem with Prigozhin, Chechen leader Kadyrov also long criticized the Russian general staff and the defense ministry for what they saw as wrong tactics and too soft an approach. Most recently, however, Kadyrov has been reluctant to publicly criticize the conduct of the war.
In the meantime, the oligarch and the Chechen leader are publicly blaming each other. Prigozhin accused the Chechens of not being seen on the battlefield, but mainly shooting videos for the social media channel TikTok. Kadyrov, on the other hand, blamed the Wagner group for the high Russian losses in front of Bakhmut.