Russian President Vladimir Putin has formalized a decree requiring fighters of the Wagner Group, a Russian mercenary organization, to sign an oath of allegiance to Russia, Reuters reported.
This comes amid reports that the head of the organization, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was killed in a plane crash.
According to reports, President Putin yesterday (25th) signed a decree that takes immediate effect after calling the West’s claim that Progozhin was killed on his orders “a complete lie”.
The decree mandates a formal oath of allegiance to Russia to anyone who carries out missions on behalf of Russian forces or supports the war in Ukraine, which Russia calls a “special military operation.”
The decree, which appears to be intended to further strengthen Russian control over Wagner and others, includes a promise that all those who have sworn an oath of allegiance will strictly follow the orders of Russian military commanders and senior leaders.
In the midst of this, Russian investigative authorities said that they recovered 10 bodies and flight recorders from the plane crash site that day.
Russia’s Kremlin said it would wait for test results without confirming whether Prigozhin was among the dead.
VOA News
#Putin #asks #Wagner #fighters #swear #oath #allegiance
2023-08-26 11:42:20
