The Russian businessman Evgeny Prigozhin strengthened his position after the Russian Ministry of Defense recognized his PMC Wagner in the “capture” of Soledar. This is how experts of the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
The capture of the Soledar of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced the day before. In the first message of the Wagner PMC was not mentioned, despite Prigozhin’s statements that it was his mercenaries who seized the city a few days ago. This caused a violent reaction in the Russian information space, the ISW review said. By the evening, another message of the Russian Ministry of Defense appeared – “In connection with the appeals of the media.”
offensive operations were carried out by the “heterogeneous grouping of the Russian troops”, and “the direct assault on the city quarters of the Soledar“ waged ”volunteers of the assault squads of the PMC Wagner, the military department said.
Some Russian wire-vanous bloggers believe that Prigozhin forced the military department, firstly, to go beyond vague rhetoric, and secondly, to abandon the abstinence policy from the official recognition of the Wagner PMC and its military efforts, experts write. Until now, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in its reports of PMC “Wagner” has not mentioned.
“Prigozhin is probably striving to use the victory in Soledar as a trading tool in order to raise its authority in Russia. Mentioning the Wagner Ministry of Defense in response to public resonance indicates a significant victory of Prigozhin, strengthening his [status] decisive participant this war, ”the review of American incitite says.
Earlier, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Alexei Reznikov said that Prigozhin needed a victory in Soledar to prove to President Vladimir Putin that his strength was better than an ordinary army. Quoting the Ukrainian minister, the authors of ISW pay attention to Prigozhin published by the press service of the journalist about a possible meeting with Putin “after the successful liberation of Soledar.” Prigozhin in response advised: “Do not do nonsense.”