During the last month, an active recruiting campaign was conducted among servicemen of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, which operates to form the "African Expeditionary Corps.
Russian MOD has targeted Prigozhin's legacy in Africa
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation is recruiting paratroopers for the war for the legacy of the founder of Wagner Group, Evgeniy Prigozhin, in Africa. Military personnel are offered a salary similar to the "SMO" [means Special Military Operation; this abbreviature is used by Russian propaganda to name the war in Ukraine — Ed. ], and at the same time, exemption from participation in the war in Ukraine.
This was reported by the Telegram channel "Spy Dossier".
During the last month, an active recruiting campaign has been conducted among the active servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces with the aim of forming the "African Expeditionary Corps," the message says.
According to the channel's author, the "exemption from SMO", offered as a reward, is the most attractive for potential candidates, since the probability of the arrival of random" HIMARS in Africa is much lower.
Nevertheless, not everyone can get there, the selection is made "among their own".
This mainly concerns servicemen of the Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation, who are tired of participating in assault operations in an open field. The average conscripted person will not make it there. Special attention is paid to pilots, servicemen of communication forces and UAV operators. And, of course, "to Wagner"[Group], the author writes.
At the same time, the main group is formed around the "Redut" PMC, but the final decision on the structure of the future corps has not yet been made. The main training base is determined to be the Molkino military training ground, which is located in the Krasnodar region.
The main contingent of the future formation is determined to be servicemen of the Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation.
The commander of the Russian Air Force, Colonel-General Teplinskiy, is still the main political opponent and counterweight to the power of the Shoigu-Gerasimov duo. The latter are looking for ways to weaken the colonel-general and reorient part of the Air Force to themselves. It is reported that Shoigu personally holds talks with promising bright service prospects and, of course, "commission" from "African affairs". All things considered, this tactic works. Some of the officers with big stars have already agreed to take part in the "African Corps". The commander of the corps is also planned to be the general of the Air Force, who was previously focused on Teplinskiy, the author explained.
The main purpose of this corps is to promote its interests in Africa. However, it can be divided into three components:
Official — aid to African peoples.
Unofficial — establishing points of influence on the African continent with the aim of redirecting cash flows from the sale of African resources and putting pressure on French representatives to reduce support for Ukraine in the war.
Conceived — the Ministry of Defense is, as before, concerned about the influence of the "Wagner Group” on the Russian Federation's territory and beyond its borders.
Despite Prigozhin's death (or maybe the staging), his spirit, as before, hovers both in the corridors of the Kremlin and in the minds of Russian servicemen. Officially, the management of the organization passed to his son — Pavel Prigozhin.. However, as it turned out, "Wagner Group" showed the ability to "self-organize" at the level of "middle-level" managers. That is why Wagner's African cells are still alive and thriving. Shoigu and Gerasimov are trying with all their might to "absorb" the remnants of the Wagner Group, including on the territory of Africa, the channel's author summarized.
Is Prigozhin's son really in charge of Wagner Group?
Is Prigozhin's son really leading the Wagner Group now, are they going to fight against Ukraine again, and are the mercenaries training Hamas, Oleksandr with the call sign "Fortuna", the chief of staff of the Russian Volunteer Corps, told online.ua.
After Prigozhin's death, information emerged that his son led the Wagner Group in the Russian Guard and resumed their recruitment in Perm.
"Fortuna" reports that it is currently known that representatives of the "Wagner Group” who want to fight can do so through Russia’s National Guard.
Some agreed, some refused. That is, they were simply divided into several such categories. There is a category of people who refused, there is a category of people who have doubts, and there is a category of people who agree. This category was simply divided into two parts: someone went to the Ministry of Defense under a direct contract, the rest were structurally redirected to Russia’s National Guard.
According to the RVC chief of staff, this is simply a redistribution of the militant market.
I don't think that Prigozhin's son actually decides anything there. He was simply made the person publicly responsible for this, but to what extent does she make decisions, to what extent does she bear actual responsibility, to what extent can she make a difference? I personally doubt it very much.