The founder and head of the Wagner group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said today that the fighters of his mercenary group will not sign any contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry, hours after Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu he tried to take control of the volunteer units.

Prigozhin constantly made verbal attacks on the Russian military leadership, but neither Shoigu nor the Chief of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov publicly commented on Prigozhin’s insults and criticisms of the military leadership.

However, the Defense Ministry issued a statement on Saturday noting that Shoigu had ordered all “volunteer units” to sign contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry by the end of the month, which the ministry said would increase the efficiency of the Russian Defense Ministry. army.

Although the Defense Ministry did not name Wagner in its statement, Russian media reported that the move was an attempt by Shoigu to bring the mercenaries under his control.

“Wagner will not sign any contracts with Shoigu,” Prigozhin said in response to a request for comment on the order, adding that it does not apply to Wagner.

Prigozhin said the mercenary organization promotes Russia’s interests, but its highly effective administrative structure would be destroyed if it were subordinated to Shoigu.

“Shoigu cannot properly manage military formations,” Prigozhin said, adding that Wagner coordinates his actions in Ukraine with General Sergei Surovykin, nicknamed the “Armageddon General.”

Source: APE-Reuters.