The Kremlin has managed to strengthen control over the Wagner private military company (PMC) fighters after the rebellion of their former leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. Some of the militants have been incorporated into the Russian National Guard (Rosgvardia).
According to the UK Ministry of Defense on Twitter, on December 25, 2023, Vladimir Putin signed a law allowing Rosgvardia to create its own "volunteer" formations. It is already known that Rosgvardia has incorporated three former airborne assault units of the Wagner PMC - the 15th, 16th, and 17th - into its first so-called volunteer corps.
British intelligence suggests that Rosgvardia is likely to deploy its new "volunteer" units in Ukraine and Africa. It is reported that Rosgvardia offers volunteers six-month contracts for participation in the war against Ukraine and nine-month contracts for service in Africa.
"The incorporation of former Wagner assault detachments into Rosgvardia's Volunteer Corps highly likely indicates that Wagner has been successfully subordinated to Rosgvardia, increasing the Russian state's command and control over the Wagner Group," the summary says.
