Two days after Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the mercenary industry, was reportedly found dead, a presidential decree was signed Friday requiring paramilitary members to make an oath to the Russian flag.
The measure, aimed at “forming the spiritual and moral foundations for the defense of the Russian Federation”, applies to members of volunteer formations a term usually describing mercenary groups according to the decree published on the presidential website.
It also applies to groups “contributing to the execution of tasks given to the armed forces” and territorial defence units, the decree published on the Kremlin website said.
Fighters must pledge “their loyalty to the Russian Federation… strictly follow their commanders and superiors’ orders, and conscientiously fulfil their obligations,” the decree read.
Two months after Prigozhin led his fighters in a violent uprising against Moscow’s top brass, President Vladimir Putin signed the pact.
Asked about the future of Wagner, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that “legally the Wagner private military group does not exist.”
