Putin Orders Mercenary Boss To Withdraw Troops From Ukraine Over Fears They Are 'Becoming Too Powerful & Pose A Threat' To Russian Leader
Vladimir Putin has reportedly ordered mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin to withdraw his nearly 50,000 troops from Ukraine over fears Prigozhin is becoming “too powerful,” RadarOnline.com has learned.
In a sudden development to come just days after Putin’s mercenary chief announced he would stop recruiting inmates from Russian prisons to fight in Ukraine, the 70-year-old Russian leader has reportedly ordered Prigozhin to withdraw his mercenaries from Ukraine altogether.
According to Daily Mail, the sudden move comes after Putin and other top Kremlin officials grew worried Prigozhin and his 50,000-strong Wagner Private Military Company were growing “too powerful” and “posing a threat” to Putin’s claim as Russia’s leader.
“This appears to be a parting of the way after Prigozhin had been openly critical, even abusive to senior military figures in the regular forces,” Russia expert Bruce Jones said before indicating Putin now views Prigozhin as “a potential rival.”
But while Putin has ordered Prigozhin and his 50,000 mercenaries to withdraw from Ukraine, the Russian leader is reportedly preparing to mobilize 300,000 regular Russian troops in the mercenaries’ place.
“We see no sign whatsoever that President Putin is preparing for peace,” Jones explained. “What we see is President Putin and Russia still wanting to control Ukraine.”
“We see how they are sending more troops, more weapons, more capabilities,” he added.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Putin and Prigozhin began feuding earlier this year after the mercenary chief claimed his forces successfully occupied the Ukrainian town of Soledar in January.
- Vladimir Putin's Mercenary Chief Deepens Feud With Russian Leader, Dismisses Moscow Generals As 'A Bunch Of Clowns'
- 'Nervous' Vladimir Putin Cuts Off Communication With Mercenary Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin In Latest Power Play
- Putin's Mercenary Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin Expected To Challenge Russian Tyrant In Next Year's Presidential Election
Although the Kremlin immediately issued a statement contradicting Prigozhin’s claim, the Wagner boss then disrespected Putin further by dismissing the Russian leader’s generals as “a bunch of clowns.”
“Female war correspondents go into the absolute heat of war,” Prigozhin said in a video released in January. “Jail inmates fight better than units of the Guards. Servicemen with broken spines pass on their military experience at training camps, moving around like robots.”
“And a bunch of clowns try to teach fighters exhausted with hard military labor how many times they ought to shave,” he charged further, “and what kind of perfume they must use to greet high commanders.”
Despite Putin and Prigozhin’s ongoing feud, and despite Putin’s recent order for the mercenary chief to withdraw from Ukraine, Prigozhin is still allegedly being eyed as Putin’s successor should the Russian leader step down from power or be deposed due to his failures in Ukraine.
Never miss a story — sign up for the RadarOnline.com newsletter to get your daily dose of dope. Daily. Breaking. Celebrity news. All free.
"Prigozhin is one of the typical Putin-era power brokers, one of the most trusted in the Kremlin,” explained Dr. Huseyn Aliyev, an expert on Russia and the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“He has pushed himself to the front and proved himself capable of pushing forward with Russia’s offensive just as Putin is disillusioned by his generals."