Days after Wagner chief Prigozhin’s reported death, Putin demands mercenaries swear allegiance to Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree Friday requiring all mercenaries to swear allegiance to Russia, a revelation that comes on the heels of Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin’s reported death.

The fate of the Wagner Group – a private Russian military company with ties to conflicts in Africa, Syria and Ukraine – has been uncertain since a short-lived revolt in June.

Prigozhin marched his Wagner mercenaries on Moscow following months of frustrations stemming from a lack of Russian battlefield successes in Ukraine. The rebellion was quietly called off between Putin and his once-personal-chef Prigozhin and the ex-Kremlin confidant was exiled to Belarus.