New mercenaries take over

Putin continues to rely on private forces in the Ukraine war. “Redut” mercenaries are gaining importance in Russia – already 7,000 fighters are stationed in Ukraine.

MOSCOW – Russia has 40 private armies, 20 of which are said to be involved in the war in Ukraine. Wagner was once very powerful, but experts say it has waned since the death of its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin. A new mercenary force rises from the ashes and becomes increasingly important. “Redut” is the name of the force that reports directly to the Russian Ministry of Defense. If there is a private army, women will soon be at the forefront.

Redut instead of Wagner: Why Russia is relying on private forces in the Ukraine war

Not only was the Kremlin happy to resort to private armies after Wagner. Although the Russian government leads shadow forces, it has so far been able to deny direct intervention. The head of Ukraine’s military intelligence recently explained that private military companies also serve as a hybrid tool Medium RBC-Ucarina. Yusov said the private forces are urging Russia to “avoid public reporting of casualties and continue recruitment and mobilization efforts without unnecessarily disturbing public sentiment.” Another perk: If a mercenary dies in battle, the Russian government is said to not have to pay any compensation to the survivors.

Ukraine war: How Putin is pulling the strings in Redett

Despite talk of private forces, Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to pull the strings for Redut and other irregular combat units. “They all follow Putin’s orders. There are no more private forces in Russia,” said Yusov, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence. Moscow recently decided to change course – perhaps seeing the unity of the Kremlin leadership at risk: by July 1 of this year, all Russian volunteer associations and private forces will officially be part of Russian security. had to place themselves under the command of the Ministry.Wagner refused to follow the instructions of boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and the rest is history.

The REDD mercenary force reports directly to the Russian Ministry of Defense. The unit is also said to have good links with the Russian secret service GRU. There may be more to it: how Research on RFE/RL The GRU directly coordinates and finances the unit. An anonymous source from GRU circles confirmed to the media that the Redut, like most private combat units and mercenaries, was a “pseudo-private army”. RFE/RL. It said it would sign contracts with a non-combatant company and then be paid directly by the Russian government.

7,000 Redut fighters stationed in Ukraine: including contested Avtivka

Redut was founded in 2008 and serves the government and Russia’s super-rich. According to a study by the Norwegian Institute for Defense Research, Redut’s founders gained experience from foreign missions and worked in foreign intelligence services or the military. the sea The Insider The attempt to figure it out came from the then deputy head of the GRU, Vladimir Alekseev. Some Redut fighters previously belonged to other militias or special forces, including PMSC Antiterror-Orel. According to the Federal Agency for Civic Education (Bpb)..

Like Wagner, Redett sometimes recruited in concentration camps and prisons and sent his fighters primarily into highly contested areas. In the Ukrainian war, they said, mercenaries of the combat force are currently fighting in Avdiivka. American war experts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).. how The British Ministry of Defense announced, Redut troops numbered about 7,000 mercenaries by mid-October. By comparison: Wagner had about 50,000 fighters at his peak. London said Redemption had already been involved in fighting in Donetsk, Kharkiv, Luhansk and Kiev since the start of the Russian invasion. Loud Euronews REDD fighters are said to be involved, among others, in a plot to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Will Redemption send women to the front sooner? Apparently female snipers were recruited for Ukraine

ISW said in its report Report last Tuesday (October 24).Redut is now recruiting women for the war in Ukraine. According to ISW experts, citing research by a Russian newspaper, women are particularly favored for positions such as snipers or drone operators. Vazhnye Istorii. According to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, 1,110 women were on the front lines in March, which is only 0.3 percent of the total Russian armed forces.

However, in World War II, the Soviet Union had a strong tradition of female snipers and other combatants. “It is not yet clear whether the official Russian armed forces will follow suit and open up more combat positions to women,” the British Ministry of Defense wrote on X Platform (formerly Twitter). But Redut is fishing in familiar waters: According to reports, the mercenary group is also recruiting former Wagner fighters.