Alert? Vladimir Putin: ‘Preparing my own army’...
Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Chechen and a close supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, declared that he had ambitions to establish his own private military firm one day in the mould of Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner Group of mercenaries. The rise of mercenary forces outside of the Russian army has already alarmed the West.
According to news agency Reuters, ramzan Kadyrov claimed that Wagner, which has been fighting with Russian troops in ukraine, had achieved "amazing results" and that private military firms were essential.
Wagner has proven its military prowess, and ramzan Kadyrov declared that the debate over whether or not such private military corporations are required has come to an end. "I sincerely intend to compete with our beloved brother Yevgeny Prigozhin and start a private military firm after my service to the state is complete. I believe everything will work out "he added.
Ramzan Kadyrov and Prigozhin, who are steadfast allies of Vladimir Putin, command forces in ukraine that are virtually independent of Russia. Yet, they have also publicly criticised the Russian military hierarchy. Whereas Prigozhin, who spent the final decade of the Soviet Union in prison, has been a close associate of Vladimir Putin for years, ramzan Kadyrov is the son of the former Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov, who was killed in a bombing in Grozny in 2004.
