Russia’s Defence Ministry has signed a contract with the Akhmat volunteer detachment, as per the official Telegram channel of the ministry. This is the first contract defining the role of volunteer detachments in the Ukraine war, Russian state news agency TASS notes.
The document was signed by Colonel General Alexey Kim, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, and Adam Dashaev, Director of the Russian Special Forces University. Commander of the Akhmat detachment Apti Alaudinov and deputy of Russia’s State Duma Adam Delimkhanov also took part in the signing ceremony.
On 10 June, Russian Minister of Defence Sergey Shoigu signed an order stipulating that all “volunteer detachments” have to enter into a contract with the Defence Ministry before 1 July.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of PMC Wagner, rejected the order, saying that his company would not sign it. “The orders that Shoigu gives are mandatory for the Defence Ministry staffers and service members. The Wagner Group will not sign any contracts with Shoigu. The fact that he drafts orders is only relevant for the Defence Ministry and all those in its framework,” Prigozhin noted.
At the same time, he stressed that his “private military company is fully compliant with interests of Russia and the commander-in-chief” and “coordinates all its actions with Army General [Sergey] Surovikin and completes the tasks he sets out”.
Prigozhin admitted that it was possible his rejection of the order would lead to the ministry no longer providing PMC Wagner with ammunition.
