25 August 2023 , 21:51
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Russian defectors now fighting against the Kremlin for Ukraine have extended an invitation to Wagner's leaderless mercenaries to join them to avenge the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin.
In a video released late last night, the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVA) - one of two Russian rebel outfits to switch sides to Ukraine - offered Wagner fighters a solution for their bloodlust after Prigozhin's jet fell out of the sky in Tver, Russia.
It's been widely rumoured that the crash was the culmination of an elaborate assassination plot carried out by the Kremlin, after Prigozhin earned himself a target for plotting and staging a coup against Russia's military leadership.
RVA Commander Denis Kapustin, flanked by his subordinates, spoke to the now-leaderless Wagner troops as he said: "You are facing a serious choice now—you can stand in a stall of Russia's defense ministry and serve as watchdogs for executors of your commanders or take revenge."
Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who died in a plane crash on Wednesday (TELEGRAM/ @concordgroup_official)"To take revenge you need to switch to Ukraine's side," Kapustin added. But there was a condition to the invite. Only Wagner Group members who had "not committed war crimes" will be eligible to "join our ranks". Even before the war in Ukraine, the Wagner Group - which offered stability to war-torn African nations in return for access to their lucrative gold and diamond mines - was accused of repeated atrocities including murder, torture, rape and robbery of civilians. Kapustin continued, asking the mercenaries to join them and complete the "meat grinder" of a war together before "we'll march on Moscow".
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Bodies are removed from the crash site in Tver (AP)There are two known Russian rebel groups that crossed from Ukraine into Russian territory. The RVC is currently located in Russia's Belogrod region, which borders the war-ravaged nation. According to the RVC, their ranks are made up of Russians who have seen the light and signed up to fight for Ukraine and against the Kremlin.
Another rebel band, the Freedom of Russia Legion, says it's made up of former Russian armed forces servicemen who defected, as well as volunteers from Russia and Belarus.
Prigozhin's face on a flag at a memorial in St Petersburg (ANATOLY MALTSEV/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)The founder of the Wagner military company and six other passengers were on a private jet that crashed Wednesday soon after taking off from Moscow with a crew of three, according to Russia's civil aviation authority.
The crash was the most serious blow the group has ever suffered to its leadership. The passenger manifest included Prigozhin and his second-in-command who baptised the group with his nom de guerre, as well as Wagner's logistics chief, a fighter wounded by U.S. airstrikes in Syria and at least one possible bodyguard.
It was not clear why several high-ranking members of Wagner, including top leaders who are normally exceedingly careful about their security, were on the same flight. The purpose of their joint trip to St. Petersburg was unknown. In all, the other passengers included six of Prigozhin's lieutenants, along with the three-member flight crew