New unit causes problems between Prigozhin and Putin

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The Russian attack on Ukraine has been going on for over a year now. Actually, the ‘special operation’, as the war in Russia is officially called, would only last three days. Then Kiev should be in Russian hands and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (45) should be deposed. The Russian army, however, met stiff resistance – and is now making little progress.

Yet Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin (70) sent more and more soldiers into the war. Experts explained the procedure with, among other things, the cover-up tactics of the Putin generals. The top military officials are said to have deliberately withheld heavy losses or defeats from Putin so as not to jeopardize their power. Putin was only vaguely informed of the difficult conditions at the front.

But now the tactic doesn’t seem to work anymore. As the American think tank Institute for Study of War (ISW) writes, referring to a statement by the US intelligence director, Putin is slowly realizing that his army currently has “very limited capabilities”. “Putin is probably preparing for an extension of the war. He may believe that prolonging the war will increase his chances of achieving his strategic goals.

New Zoff between Wagner and the Kremlin

After mobilizing 300,000 soldiers last autumn, Putin currently relies mainly on volunteers. As the ISW writes, the Russian state energy supplier Gazprom is currently setting up a volunteer army. Anyone who works at Gazprom and volunteers for the service can earn up to $8,000 a month.

According to the ISW, the new Gazprom unit in the occupied Donetsk region would already be recruiting in the near future. Gazprom would have received permission for this from the Kremlin.

Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin shouldn’t be happy about it. Should Gazprom conduct a mobilization campaign in Donetsk, the state energy company would get in the way of the Wagner Group. It is conducting its own recruitment campaign in the region. Already simmering between Prigozhin and Putin. The latest events surrounding the new Gazprom unit are likely to provide further fuel.

Putin is sticking to his dream

The Kremlin boss still does not want to change his goals. “Putin is sticking to his maximalist war goals – despite the very limited ability of his armed forces to achieve them.” Means: Putin wants to further expand Russian territory. His dream: the rebirth of the Soviet Union.

For this, Putin would also have to put up with a long war – and maybe even send more people to the war. US intelligence director Avril Haines said Russia could struggle to continue its current operation in Ukraine without mobilizing more personnel. The Kremlin also urgently needs ammunition supplies. Meanwhile, the soldiers at the front even get rusted ammunition because there are not enough supplies left.

Source: Blick