(Reuters) - A day before mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin's plane crash, a Russian official visited Libya to reassure allies that fighters from the Wagner Group would remain in the country -- but under Moscow's control.
Meeting in Benghazi, Russian Deputy Defence Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov told eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar on Tuesday that Wagner forces would report to a new commander, a Libyan official with knowledge of the meeting said.
Now with Prigozhin believed dead, the fate of the complex, lucrative web of military and commercial operations he and Wagner created for Russia across Europe, the Middle East and Africa hangs in the balance. In Africa, Wagner may stay more or less intact under new management or be subsumed by another Russian mercenary group. But its ability to operate in places where Moscow may have no formal or legal presence makes it an invaluable tool of Kremlin foreign policy.
That push may not have been welcomed in Moscow and there have been reports of the Kremlin creating alternative companies to take over Wagner operations - though none appear capable of doing so yet. As Russia has no official military role in Libya and could not intervene directly without breaking a U.N. arms embargo, its involvement there would still have to be through Wagner or a similar outfit, Harchaoui said.
But as Wagner was there through a state-level agreement with Russia,"nothing will affect the presence of these instructors" he said. Prigozhin is"a dead leader, we can replace him" Gouandjika added."We can already imagine the operational difficulties the movement could now face, and it goes without saying that there will be repercussions for the African countries in which it is involved," he said.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Wagner’s Yevgeny Prigozhin, Russia’s most powerful mercenary, believed killed in plane crashMOSCOW, Aug 24 — Russia’s most powerful mercenary Yevgeny Prigozhin was on board a plane which crashed on Wednesday evening north of Moscow with no survivors, the Russian...
Read more »
What happens to Wagner mercenary group after Prigozhin’s plane crash?With Yevgeny Prigozhin believed dead, Wagner’s fate across the world hangs in the balance.
Read more »
What happens to Wagner mercenary group after Prigozhin’s plane crash?MOSCOW: A day before mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin’s plane crash, a Russian official visited Libya to reassure allies that fighters from the Wagner...
Read more »
Telegram Wagner dakwa pesawat dinaiki Prigozhin ditembak jatuhTelegram Wagner dakwa pesawat dinaiki Prigozhin ditembak jatuh
Read more »
Pro-Kyiv Russians urge Wagner to avenge Prigozhin’s deathThe militants have called on the group to switch sides and join their ranks.
Read more »
Pro-Kyiv Russians urge Wagner to avenge Prigozhin’s deathKYIV: A group of Russian militants who fight on the Ukrainian side called on the Wagner Group of mercenaries to switch sides and join their ranks to r...
Read more »