FLASH
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Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was killed last month when his plane crashed over Russia's Tver region, north of Moscow, months after leading a rebellion against the Kremlin.
The plane, which was traveling from Moscow to St. Petersburg, Prigozhin's hometown, was carrying seven passengers and three crew members, who lost their lives.
Given the vacuum created in this paramilitary organization, it was expected that other Russian "private security companies" would compete to take Wagner's place. But the place appears to have been taken by Redut, a mercenary group controlled by Russian intelligence that began as an arrangement between oligarchs with close ties to the Kremlin and top military commanders.
Redut has stated that they did not have Prigozhin as a "friend" and that, if the rebellion had lasted just one more day, the leader of the Wagner group would have become their "adversary".
The origin of this mercenary group
Red's story is surprising. From being on the verge of extinction to being chosen to replace the Wagner group. Created 15 years ago by members of the Russian Special Forces from a group known as Antiterror, it was created to protect factories that had been bought by Gennady Timchenko, a former agent of the Committee for State Security (KGB) and connected oligarch with Putin.
Red's activity was initially not large. In fact, this group deployed to Syria with two teams, one with 55 men and the other with 65. However, its role began to change significantly during the invasion of Ukraine, when the Russians sought to find a mercenary force to reduce dependence on the group Wagner. Specifically, Redut was used by the Kremlin to compete with this group of mercenaries through a plan drawn up by the deputy head of Russian intelligence (GRU). Moreover, it is believed that it was members of Red who planned to end the life of Volodymyr Zelensky on the first day of the occupation.
The influence of the Kremlin
But the mercenaries not only failed to eliminate the Ukrainian President, but also lost 90% of their troops during the Kiev offensive, leaving the Wagner group free. It was the Kremlin itself that kept the Redoubt going, which has been able to recruit 7,000 soldiers this year, many of them prisoners.
Red's role today
All indications are that, at present, Redut may take over Wagner's operations in Syria and several African countries. Before the deaths of Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin, Redut had already begun preparations to enter Africa and was focusing recruitment efforts in this area. Whether they will achieve this is another matter, as Wagner's missions to Africa were often based on the personal connections that Prigozhin and Utkin established with African leaders.
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