The crisis caused by the mutiny of the Wagner PMCs has been successfully resolved – the Wagnerians are returning to their field camps. However, the reputation of private military companies is tarnished. How to avoid even the theoretical possibility of such mutinies in the future and what measures are already being taken to integrate PMCs fighters into the unified military command system?
The attempt of an armed rebellion in Russia ended in failure. The head of the Wagner PMCS, Yevgeny Prigozhin, decided to deploy his columns, withdraw units from Rostov-on-Don and return them to field camps. The Kremlin reported that the criminal case against Prigozhin will be terminated, he himself will go to Belarus.
The press secretary of the Russian president Dmitry Peskov said that the fighters from the Wagner PMCs, taking into account their merits at the front, will not be persecuted. Those of them who did not participate in Prigozhin's "campaign" will be able to sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
However, in general, the role and reputation of any PMCs after the mutiny is somehow called into question. The merits of the volunteers during the special operation are undeniable, but the mutiny was raised not by units of the regular army, but by representatives of a private military company. What should we do now with these armed formations?
The state has already begun to resolve this issue, and even before the rebellion. Most recently, in mid-June, at a meeting with military officers, President Putin announced the need to conclude PMCs contracts with the Ministry of Defense. "This is the only way to ensure social guarantees. Because if there is no contract, then there are no legal grounds for social guarantees from the state," he said.
As TASS reported, the president also outlined his position on the legal status of the PMCs. "Everyone, no matter who they are and in whatever capacity they are at the forefront, they are all defenders of the Fatherland, and the Motherland should fully respond to their willingness to risk their lives or give their lives for the Motherland. Everyone should be in an equal position, for this it is necessary to make appropriate changes to the law," Putin said.
Later, RIA Novosti reported that more than 20 volunteer formations had signed contracts with the Ministry of Defense. "The signed contracts determine the legal regulation and activities of volunteer corps formations in the zone of a special military operation, as well as the extension of social protection and support measures established by the state to all volunteers and their family members," the Telegram channel of the department says.
According to experts interviewed by the newspaper VZGLYAD, the special military operation contributed to the active development of volunteer units and private military companies. Over the past year and a half, they have become an important element of the state military policy. Therefore, now the task of the country's leadership should be the legal consolidation of their status, the creation of support and control mechanisms.
"From my point of view, when it comes to embedding private military companies in the state system, their very concept is not discarded, but requires some refinement.
We can say that now the state faces two most important tasks: on the one hand, to protect itself from such uprisings in the future, and on the other – to give social guarantees and build a system for providing PMCs and volunteers," said military expert Boris Rozhin.
"Today, the problem largely lies in the fact that we still do not have legal regulation of the activities of PMCs. At the same time, there is already information that the State Duma plans to deal closely with this issue during the autumn session. The draft law, of course, will have to be finalized taking into account the attempted mutiny that took place the day before," he said.
"Parliamentarians will need to define the rights and obligations of PMCs and voluntary associations. Everyone understands perfectly well that this is not just a private shop. All of them are somehow affiliated with the state, are supplied, including from the resources of the Ministry of Defense, with ammunition, equipment, fuel," the expert argues.
"I am deeply convinced that it is impossible to ban PMCs and volunteer units in the country. Private military companies are widely used in Africa and other countries in order to ensure the Russian position and delineate our zone of influence. In addition, the special military operation gave a great boost to the volunteer movement and activated the processes of their integration into the country's security system," Rozhin believes.
"It can be stated that such associations have become an instrument in the hands of the state – which means that a legal regime for their work should be created and certain control over their activities should be ensured. We are already seeing some of these processes now, based on the signing of contracts with the defense department by part of the personnel," the source said.
"I think when the agreements concluded yesterday are fully implemented, we will see gradual changes within the existing private military companies and volunteer units, as well as in terms of their interaction with the state," he said.
"Any turmoil in Russia is in the hands of the enemy. Kiev had more military interest: the Ukrainian authorities hoped that internal unrest in Russia would weaken our army, and the AFU would have the opportunity for a successful large-scale offensive.
But those parts of the Wagner that participated in the attempted mutiny did not actually come from the front line, they were supposed to go there only on August 5. And all the Russian forces at the front continue to carry out tasks. So Kiev didn't have much to count on," said military analyst Mikhail Onufrienko.
"At the same time, it should be understood that in part the problems that Prigozhin stated do exist. We need to adjust the system of command and control of troops in combat conditions, decision-making mechanisms, supply, logistics, acceptance of equipment on balance, and so on. Everyone connected with the delivery of humanitarian aid to new regions knows about the problems in the work of volunteers with the Ministry of Defense. All these problems need to be solved, and then we will stop the possibility of such uprisings in the future," the expert stressed.
"As for volunteer units and PMCs, then, of course, this institution is very important for Russia. We need to equalize the rights and payments of volunteers, contractors, PMCs, mobilized. The army must be united. Actually, the practice of signing contracts of PMCs fighters with the Ministry of Defense has already been launched. So Russia is already starting to follow this path," the analyst said.
Daria Volkova, Rafael Fakhrutdinov