Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of the Russian republic of Chechnya, has said that one day he intends to establish his own private army, similar to Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner mercenary group.
Due to the rise of Wagner and other mercenary groups that operate outside of traditional Russian military command structures, diplomats are concerned that these same groups could one day threaten Russia's stability.
In a post on Telegram, Kadyrov wrote that "impressive results" were achieved by the Wagner group, which is waging war against Ukraine together with Russian soldiers, and added that private military companies are necessary, reports Hina.
"When I finish my civil service, I seriously plan to compete with my dear brother Yevgeny Prigozhin and to establish my own military company. I think I will succeed," said Kadyrov, who has been the head of the Chechen Republic since 2007.
Both Kadyrov and Prigozhin are leaders in Ukraine who are largely independent of the Russian high command. They are staunch allies of President Vladimir Putin, but have not shied away from criticizing the Russian military leadership.
The duo created a tacit alliance, and they supported each other in criticizing the Russian military command and calling for an even fiercer fight.
Evidence is accumulating that the Kremlin has begun to moderate Prigozhin's excessive political influence, ordering him to stop publicly criticizing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and recommending that the state media not mention Prigozhin and Wagner in their reports.
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