According to American analysts, a new PMC is being created in the Kremlin to counteract the growing influence of Prigozhin.

In Russia, they decided to create parallel military structures – a new so-called “PMC” to curb the political influence of the financier and recruiter of the private military company “Wagner” Yevhen Prigozhin.

At the same time, the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, is increasingly entering the rivalry with Prigozhin, according to analysts of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

It is known that the pro-Kremlin businessman Armen Sargsyan, who is associated with Ukrainian ex-president Viktor Yanukovych, was entrusted with the creation of a new militant group.

Officials likely applauded Sarkisian’s efforts because private military companies are prohibited by law in Russia, analysts said.

It is noted that Sarkisian modeled his efforts to create a new PMC on the recruitment of convicts by the “Wagner” group in the Russian Federation. The sponsor of these efforts is Samvel Karapetyan, a Russian-Armenian businessman and owner of the Tashir holding company, a longtime subcontractor of the Russian state energy company Gazprom.

In turn, the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, regularly promotes his efforts to create parallel military structures based in Chechnya.

Kadyrov recently met with Russian President Putin and said they discussed the creation of new units of the Russian army and Rosgvardia made up of Chechen personnel.

“Russian officials may facilitate the further promotion of Kadyrov’s existing parallel military structures and Sarkisian’s efforts to create a private military company to counter the growing influence of Prigozhin, who is using his structures to establish himself as a central figure in Russian politics,” the analysts said.

PVC in Russia: what is known

As reported in Ukrainian intelligence, Armen Sarkisian (Armen Horlovskyi) – a criminal authority from Horlivka, close to the Yanukovych family and connected with another criminal – Yury Ivanyushchenko (Yura Yenakiivskyi) – was appointed as the new “watcher” behind the prisons in his and temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. It is noted that this “project” should strengthen the occupation contingent and create internal competition among Russian PMCs.

It is known that the most active fighters in Ukraine are the mercenaries of the “Wagner” PMK of Yevgeny Prigozhin. However, at a certain point, the company experienced a shortage of “cannon fodder”, so it went to recruit prisoners.

In November, already reported that thousands of prisoners disappeared from colonies in Russia amid the war in Ukraine. The number of people in Russian colonies decreased by 23,000 in the first two months of autumn this year. This is connected with the fact that prisoners are being recruited to the “Wagner” PVC.

According to the Ukrainian General Staff, separate units of the occupiers from the territory of the Chechen Republic and from the private military company “Wagner” were moved to the Donetsk region.