Report: Russian army takes direct control of Wagner forces in Syria

After the failed coup attempt, the Kremlin reportedly wants to take direct control of Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner Group in Syria.

In Syria, the Russian army wants to take direct control of Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner group after last weekend's failed coup attempt – in which Wagner fighters advanced within 200 kilometers of Moscow before turning back. This was reported by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

The Wagner Group, which has played a decisive role in the Ukraine war so far, took part in the battles against IS terrorists on behalf of Damascus alongside the Russian Air Force between 2015 and 2018. Prigozhin's mercenaries remained in Syria even after the start of the Ukraine war to guard vital oil infrastructure.

In the hours after Wagner's troops stopped advancing on Moscow, Prigozhin left for Belarus in accordance with an agreement with the Kremlin leadership. At the same time, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister flew to Damascus to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and take control of the Wagner troops.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin called on Assad to prevent the Wagner fighters from leaving Syria without Moscow's supervision. This was explained by sources who spoke to the WSJ. President Assad's office issued a statement after the meeting, saying they had discussed coordination, especially "in light of recent events." The Wagner fighters were then allegedly transferred to the Hmeimim airbase, which is operated by the Russian Ministry of Defense and is located near the Russian naval base in the Syrian port city of Latakia.

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