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Violent conflicts have been smoldering in the Kremlin for weeks between Russian President Vladimir Putin (70) and the head of the infamous Wagner group, Yevgeny Prigozhin (61). The reason: Prigozhin never misses an opportunity to emphasize the Russian army’s lack of successes and instead highlight the successes of his own militia.
Behind the scenes, a bitter power struggle is raging. Now it is known: after the successes in the controversial city of Bakhmut, Prigoshin wants to further expand his Wagner group – and also impart an ideological way of thinking.
According to the American think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Prigozhin plans to create the Wagner group “in a military organization parallel to the Russian army”. According to the report, the group would fight “specifically for the interests of the ideological hardliner elite”. In doing so, Prigozhin officially sides with the hard-boiled warmongers, who are unwilling to compromise, though unsurprisingly. Instead, they count on the complete conquest of Ukraine and the further expansion of their power.
Propaganda opportunities for children
To achieve his goal, Prigozhin plans to set up dozens more recruitment centers in Russia. According to the Wagner boss, centers for recruiting mercenaries have recently been opened in 42 Russian cities. These are placed in schools, among other things. So Prigozhin also wants to make young people enthusiastic about his ideas and let them go to war. Other centers in more cities will follow in the coming weeks, Prigozhin announced over the weekend.
According to the Russian opposition medium Sota, authorities in several regions are also planning events to enthuse young people for the ideology of the Wagner group. According to the announcement, Wagner’s representatives at the meeting should, in particular, tell “heroic stories” from the war in Ukraine.
Summer camps are also planned on the occupied Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea. According to the ISW, these events have the clear aim “to make children and young people enthusiastic about the ideas of the Wagner Group, to teach them extreme ideologies and, last but not least, to recruit new personnel for the war”.
outrage in the Kremlin
President Putin is unlikely to like this recruiting offensive. His army suffers huge losses in Ukraine. In addition, there are almost no volunteers who voluntarily join the army. That’s why the Kremlin forced more than 300,000 extra men into the war last fall as part of a mobilization.
Just a few days ago, the Kremlin caused a stir. The Russian state energy supplier Gazprom is currently setting up a volunteer army. According to the ISW, the new Gazprom unit in the occupied Donetsk region would already be recruiting in the near future. Gazprom is said to have received permission for this from the Kremlin – much to Prigozhin’s dismay.
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. The power struggle in the Kremlin continues.
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
