On the morning of September 29, Russian President Vladimir Putin held discussions with Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, Deputy Minister of Defense, and Andrey Troshchev, the former chief of staff of the Wagner Private Military Company (PMC).
Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed Andrey Troshchev to create new "volunteer units." They will be deployed to Ukraine for combat operations. This is reported by the press service of the Kremlin.
Officially, these volunteer units are intended for deployment to Ukraine for combat operations. However, there is a growing belief that the broader objective lies beyond Ukraine's borders.
From a strategic standpoint, the creation of volunteer units akin to the Wagner PMC does not hold significant value in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, as their relevance diminished notably during the campaign for the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region.
The significance of this meeting goes beyond Ukraine and seems to be related to Russia's interests in Africa. This is a clear signal to African countries that PMC "Wagner" again operates on the continent and represents Russian interests there. Even though PMCs previously rebelled against the leadership of the Russian Federation.
This meeting, held publicly, is one of the last stages and is seen as an important event in the return of the Wagner PMC to the African continent.
Prior to that, a preparatory phase was underway, in which in recent months Sergei Surovikin, who previously commanded Russian troops in Ukraine, has been actively touring African countries, promoting the idea that Russia is still involved in African affairs and actively promoting the interests of private military companies, including PMC Wagner. This public point says that Russia still has an interest in Africa and shows with whom African leaders are advised to continue dialog with in the future on the issues that Prigozhin has been dealing with.
Andrey Troshchev, a figure with a complex history, has been a central player in these recent developments. Many within the Wagner PMC regard him as a traitor due to his cooperation with the Russian Ministry of Defense following the failed mutiny in June 2023. Despite this, Putin has entrusted Troshchev with a critical mission: the establishment of new "volunteer units."
Earlier in the June material we wrote you about Putin's meeting with representatives of PMC Wagner. You can read the article in detail here!
Putin's directive to form "volunteer units" and his public message to Africa emphasize Russia's evolving involvement in conflicts both at home and abroad, call into question Russia's intentions in Africa, and demonstrate that the role of PMC Wagner on the African continent remains strategically important for the Kremlin.
Additional Information
Although the article does not explicitly state that the new volunteer units will be called PMC "Wagner", it is widely believed that this will be the case. The new units will operate with the funds (material and human) of PMC "Wagner", which once again confirms this opinion.
It is important to note that the Wagner PMC is a controversial organization that has been accused of human rights abuses in numerous countries. The return of the Wagner PMC to Africa is likely to be met with concern by many international observers.
