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The leader of the Wagner Group of mercenaries is using the Russian assault on the Donetsk town of Soledar to "elevate his political stature and indirectly criticize the conventional Russian military," according to an update published by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
On January 10, Yevgeny Prigozhin posted a statement to his company's Telegram page, claiming that Wagner Group forces had seized control of "entire territory of Soledar." This was quickly disputed by Ukraine.
A report published by Russian state news agency Tass on Friday then claimed that on "the evening of January 12, the liberation of the town of Soledar, which is vital for the continuation of successful offensive operations in the Donetsk area, was completed," quoting defense ministry spokesperson Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov.
Konashenkov did not mention Wagner forces, instead saying that "Soledar was seized thanks to continuous strikes delivered on the enemy by assault and army aviation aircraft, missile troops and artillery of the Russian group of troops (forces)."
But a follow-up report "clarified" the role of the Wagner Group in Russian attacks on Soledar, saying the town was "successfully attained thanks to the courageous and selfless actions of the volunteers from Wagner PMC units."
On Saturday, Ukraine once again denied Russian claims of control of the town, with Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar posting on Telegram that "fierce battles" continued in the settlement.
As this unfolded, Prigozhin published a video via his company page on Telegram in which he lauded the Wagner Group's role in Soledar, and "extolled Wagner's capabilities compared to the conventional Russian military," according to the ISW.
"Prigozhin stated the Wagner Group succeeded due to its wealth of experience, its independence, its effective military equipment, and its superior management system," it added.
Prigozhin is also said to have listed various other apparent benefits of the Wagner group as an organization.
The ISW said that Prigozhin "likely highlighted these elements, true or not, to distinguish the Wagner Group from the conventional Russian military and likely advertise for further recruitment and denigrate conventional Russian forces, lobbying for an increased role for Wagner Group—and himself—in the war in Ukraine."
The dynamic between Prigozhin and the likes of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov is currently defined by political tension, according to Dr Marina Miron of the Center for Military Ethics at King's College London.
"There is also a possibility that in addition to his political ambitions, there is a desire to point out all the shortcomings the Russian Armed Forces have," Miron told Newsweek on Sunday.
In his video, she added, "Prigozhin talked about how his PMC is functioning, and stressed not only their military capabilities but also flexibility and direct contact to those in the field. Perhaps Prigozhin will try to push for some sort of reforms within the current military machine which is the exact opposite of his own."
"It remains to be seen how Prigozhin will get along with General Gerasimov now being in charge in Ukraine. It also remains to be seen to what extent the Wagner chief will want to operate in conjunction with the Russian Armed Forces. It would seem that right now his PMC is a sort of a 'lone wolf,'" Miron said.
The Kremlin announced on Wednesday that General Gerasimov was taking over command of Russia's forces in Ukraine. This was widely seen as a demotion for General Sergey Surovikin, who had stepped into the role just three months earlier.
Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment.
About the writer
Ellie Cook is a Newsweek security and defense reporter based in London, U.K. Her work focuses largely on the Russia-Ukraine ... Read more