Yevgeny Prigojine hailed the “fierce discipline” of his troops and their military autonomy as they struggle to take control of the town of Soledar in eastern Ukraine.
“Independent“and subject to a”fierce discipline”: the head of the Wagner paramilitary group praised the efficiency of his troops in the Ukraine, where they are often in rivalry with the regular ones of the Russian army. In a video published Saturday January 14 by its press service, Yevgeny Prigozhin spoke about the reasons why its fighters managed to capture the town of Soledar, in eastern Ukraine, an announcement still denied by kyiv.
“The fiercest discipline”
Yevgeny Prigojine says his men are very experienced and “fulfill all their purposes independentlybecause they have their own planes, artillery and armored vehicles. “The most important thing is the command system, which has been perfectly perfected. The Wagner Group listens to everyone, everyone can say their opinion“, assured Yevgeny Prigojine.
But “after a decision is made, all missions are executed, no one can go back. It is the fiercest discipline that gives us this possibilityhe continued, dressed in camouflage next to a man he presents as Wagner’s commander in the Battle of Soledar.
Criticism of the Russian General Staff
These comments by Yevgeny Prigojine appear as a new veiled criticism of the Russian military high command, accused, even by some supporters of Vladimir Putin, of lacking coordination and being distant from the realities on the ground. In recent months, Yevgeny Prigojine has repeatedly criticized the commanders of the Russian troops, notably during the Ukrainian military successes this fall in the regions of Kharkhiv (east) and Kherson (south).
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On Friday, the Russian military announced the capture of Soledar without initially mentioning Wagner’s fighters. Evguéni Prigojine, via his press service, had then regretted “constant attempts to steal victoriesof his group. Rarely, the Russian Ministry of Defense then issued a statement welcoming the “courageof Wagner’s men at Soledar.
Sign of a rise in power, Yevgeny Prigozhin, 61, admitted in September that he founded Wagner after years of denial. He now travels regularly to the Ukrainian front and expresses himself actively via his press service.
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