Putin says ‘Wagner does not exist’ after meeting with Prigozhin, commanders

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the private military contractor Wagner Group “does not exist” in a Thursday interview, accusing its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin of rejecting a proposal to keep the mercenary group intact.

Putin reportedly met with Prigozhin and about three dozen Wagner commanders days after the group launched and stepped back from a short-lived rebellion in the country last month. 

Putin told the Russian newspaper Kommersant on Thursday that the fact “ordinary” Wagner fighters who fought with dignity were brought into the incident was regrettable, which is why he arranged the meeting.

A reporter asked Putin whether Wagner will remain a combat unit in the country, to which Putin replied, “Well, PMC ‘Wagner’ does not exist! We don’t have a law on private military organizations! It just doesn’t exist!” 

“There is no such legal entity,” he said. 

During the meeting, Putin said he proposed that a senior Wagner mercenary known as “gray hair” take over command of the fighters.

Putin said many Wagner commanders nodded in approval of his proposal for their future, but Prigozhin rejected it.

Reuters identified “gray hair” as Andrei Troshev, a senior Wagner commander.

Prigozhin led the rebellion late last month following months of criticism of how Russia’s military leadership was conducting the war in Ukraine. He had said the rebellion was intended to remove Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu from power. 

The troops started moving toward Moscow before agreeing to stand down and Prigozhin consenting to go to Belarus, as part of a deal to have charges dropped. But he and other Wagner commanders met with Putin in Russia for about three hours just days later. 

Putin gave Wagner forces the option to join the Russian military, go to Belarus or retire from service following the rebellion. 

He told the Russian news outlet Wagner exists but not legally. He said the question of legalization for the group and private military contractors should be decided in the State Duma, part of the Russian legislature. 

The Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday that Wagner was concluding its handover of weapons to the military. 

The Associated Press contributed.