High profile feud' likely prompting Russia to try to replace Wagner Group

Russia's military is likely seeking to oust the paramilitary Wagner Group from its combat role, according to British military intelligence.

A "high profile feud" between its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, and the Russian ministry of defence has prompted the traditional army to sponsor alternative private military companies, the UK Ministry of Defence has said.
It said the Kremlin sees heavy casualties in those companies as more acceptable to its domestic audience than regular military losses.

"Russia is likely seeking to sponsor and develop alternative private military companies to eventually replace the Wagner Group PMC in its significant combat role in Ukraine," the UK MOD wrote in a statement.
"This takes place in the context of the high-profile feud between the Russian Ministry of Defence and Wagner Group."
Mr Prigozhin has consistently criticised traditional Russian military leadership since the beginning of the war, culminating in the military withholding ammunition from his group, he claimed.
Despite the desire to oust him among top military brass, no other Russian PMC approaches Wagner's combat power at present, the UK MOD added.

As well as their losses being more tolerable to Russian society, PMC's are less constrained by the limited pay levels and inefficiency which hamper the effectiveness of the regular army.
Russia will therefore likely seek to replace Wagner with a group it has more control over, rather than rid the battlefield of private companies altogether, the UK MOD said.