Russia’s Vladimir Putin is looking for another private army to take control of the mercenary Wagner Group in Ukraine after repeated clashes with its outspoken founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, British officials have said.
The British Ministry of Defense said in its latest intelligence release published on Tuesday that Russia “probably seeks to sponsor and develop alternative private military firms.” [PMC]” to replace Prigozhin’s private army.
For months Prigozhin has been openly fighting and criticizing the command of the Russian army, even accusing them of “treason” for not providing his fighters with enough ammunition.
“Russian military command likely wants a substitute PMC over which it’s going to have more control,” British analysts said.
But finding another group of mercenaries can prove to be a difficult task.
According to the update, no other known Russian private army “currently comes close to Wagner’s size or combat strength.”
![A Wagner Group soldier guards an area in front of apartment blocks in the city of Bakhmut, which has been destroyed by Russian artillery attacks.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/NYPICHPDPICT000008774754.jpg?w=1024)
Prigozhin stepped up efforts to recruit tens of 1000’s of latest fighters to replenish Wagner’s ranks, which had been severely depleted by months of bloody fighting to capture the town of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.
British analysts said Russia apparently sees value in using mercenary groups in Ukraine “as they’re less constrained by limited pay levels and inefficiencies that hinder the effectiveness of an everyday army.”
There could also be another, more cynical reason why the Kremlin prefers mercenaries; 1000’s of prisoners are recruited from Russian prisons to fight in Ukraine.
![In this news photo, taken from a video released by Prigozhin Press Service on Friday, March 3, 2023, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, asks Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to withdraw the remaining Ukrainian forces from Bakhmut.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/NYPICHPDPICT000007835589.jpg?w=1024)
![Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the Tulazheldormash factory, Russia's leading machine-building company, in Tula, April 4, 2023.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/NYPICHPDPICT000009202233.jpg?w=1024)
“Russia’s leadership probably believes there are heavy casualties [mercenaries] can be higher tolerated by the Russian public compared to odd military losses,” concludes the bulletin of the Ministry of Defense.
The Institute for War Studies reported in a recent update on the war that Wagner’s private forces probably lost close to half of their 50,000 fighters in the Battle of Bakhmut, which became referred to as the “Meat Grinder”.
Ian Stubbs, senior military adviser to the British mission to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, said last week that 30,000 Russian servicemen and Wagner personnel had been killed or wounded in the Bakhmut area since July.
![Businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin (left) shows Russian President Vladimir Putin his factory that produces school meals, near Saint Petersburg, Russia, Monday, September 20, 2010.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/NYPICHPDPICT000005092387.jpg?w=1024)
On Sunday, Prigozhin said in a video speech that his forces had captured the town and hoisted the flag over its city hall.
Kiev mocked Prigozhin’s claims, saying that enemy soldiers raised a flag over “some kind of toilet” and that Ukrainian forces repelled Russian attacks.