Putin imposes by decree that paramilitary groups also swear "loyalty" to Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a decree to broaden the range of people who will be required to swear the flag and, by extension, “loyalty” to Russia, to include paramilitary organizations such as the Group Wagner.

Two days after the death of the founder of this organization, Yevgueni Prigozhin, after the crash of the plane in which he was traveling, Putin has indicated that mercenaries must comply with the same bureaucratic and symbolic procedures as members of the regular Armed Forces, according to the official text released by the Kremlin.

The Wagner Group has operated for years outside the formal structure, although serving the interests of Moscow. Its role has been key in conflicts such as those in Syria and Ukraine, as well as in several African countries, but the rebellion launched by Prigozhin in June caused Putin to break ties.

Only after this riot did the Russian president publicly acknowledge that the Kremlin had financed the Wagner Group -with more than 1 billion dollars-. After Prigozhin’s death, Putin expressed his condolences on Thursday, recalling the “mistakes” committed, while the Kremlin on Friday denied any connection to the plane crash.