Mercenaries and the Russian Army
Once again, Volymedia has an important piece on Telegram. It details not just recruitment but the internal fights developing within the Federation. The curse for the Federation is that Vladimir Putin is refusing to declare war and instead has relied on quasi-mobilization. There are good reasons for that. But in the meantime, we are starting to see the kind of internal conflict that led to many a gang war in the streets of Russian cities in the 1990s.
Evgeny Prigozhin has been responsible for organizing a permanent replenishment of PMC Wagner since the beginning of the war. To do this, he also had funding through contracts with the Ministry of Defense for the supply of food and dry bunks and with the Ministry of Education, to which he also supplied food for schools and gardens. Part of the money for mobilization went through Orthodox entrepreneurs, especially through the structures of Konstantin Malofeev. Part was carried out through the Alexander Dugin International Eurasian Movement and through the Eurasian Youth Union.
Putin’s Chef has been more like a well-connected enforcer. It’s of note that Alexandr Dugin is part of this mafia. His daughter worked for Prigozhin. This is part of the Russian far right and is connected to the European and American New Right.