The new field commander of the russian private military company Wagner, Anton Yelizarov (callsign Lotos), has made his first video statement since the death of Wagner Group’s former owner Yevgeny Prigozhin and the former field commander Dmitry Utkin (callsign Wagner), in an August 2023 plane crash, the UK Defense Intelligence reports.
In his video, Anton Yelizarov detailed the location of Wagner’s new headquarters at Kazachi Lageri (Cossack Camps), almost certainly in Rostov, the south of russia, co-located with the barracks of russia’s 150th Motor Rifle Division. Anton Yelizarov further claimed that Wagner Group’s new base would also house the russian National Guard’s (Rosgvardiya) new Volunteer Corps, implicitly confirming Wagner’s subordination to Rosgvardiya. Rosgvardiya is likely preparing a new Volunteer Corps formation of experienced Wagner Group personnel to reinforce russia’s war effort in Ukraine and expand russian influence in Africa.
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The russian state highly likely authorised the construction of Wagner Group’s new base and highly likely perceives that by subordinating Wagner to Rosgvardiya, it has removed any potential threat Wagner might pose to russia’s regime security.
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