Wagner mercenaries find refuge with Kadyrov
A large group of Wagner mercenaries has begun joint training with Chechen special forces. This was announced by the President of the southern Russian republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, on Telegram. He was pleased that the Chechen Akhmat battalion would now be accompanied by "fighters with excellent combat experience who have proven themselves to be courageous and efficient warriors", explained Kadyrov. "I am confident that they will live up to their reputation in future battles." Akhmat fighters, like the Russian Wagner mercenaries, have already been deployed in the war of aggression against Ukraine.
He released a video accompanied by booming music showing soldiers in combat training, some of them wearing Wagner insignia on their uniforms and masks over their faces. Kadyrov said the exercises included field medicine, training for snipers, machine gunners, sappers and artillerymen. It was not clear how many Wagner men took part and whether some of them would remain in the Chechen armed forces after completing the training.
Earlier in the week, various Russian media reported that the Wagner group was allegedly recruiting again in the Russian cities of Perm and Novosibirsk as a unit of the Russian National Guard. The unit is said to be headed by Pavel Prigozhin, the son of the late Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, of all people.
In June, Yevgeny Prigozhin had instigated an uprising against the Russian military leadership and had fallen out of favor in Moscow. In August, Prigozhin died in a plane crash. The cause of the crash is still unclear. The Kremlin has denied having anything to do with it. After the uprising, the Wagner mercenaries were temporarily housed in Belarus, which cooperates closely with the Russian leadership.
The Wagner mercenary group, which had previously found refuge in Belarus after an uprising led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, is now receiving training from Chechen special forces under Ramzan Kadyrov's guidance. Kadyrov emphasized that the experienced Wagner fighters would be a valuable addition to their forces, as they have already proven themselves in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Source: www.ntv.de
