Vladimir Putin pulls Wagner PMC out of Ukraine amid fears their boss holds too much power

Amid reported concerns that their boss is becoming too powerful, Wagner PMC mercenaries have been pulled out of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin.

According to a report on Monday, February 13, the notorious mercenary force of Wagner PMC is being pulled out of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin. It is believed that the Russian leader is of the opinion that its boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has become too powerful and is now being seen as a potential threat.

In the exclusive reveal by The Mirror, the news outlet claimed that over the new few weeks, the Wagner founder will start to withdraw his 50,000-strong army from the battlefields of eastern Ukraine.

Prigozhin courted controversy last summer when he conscripted convicted criminals from Russian prisons. These men were allegedly offered a contract to fight for his army in return for their freedom at the end of its duration. Wagner troops have been responsible for most of Russia’s victories so far.

The Wagner chief has already reportedly stopped recruiting prisoners according to the paper’s sources. This could be the result of Putin demoting the Wagner Group from the frontlines, to replace them with up to 300,000 troops from the regular Russian military ranks the report suggested.

Putin and Prigozhin are long-time allies and friends, dating back to a time when the Wagner chief was responsible for supplying the Kremlin’s kitchens. This earned him the nickname of ‘Putin’s chef’.

Along with the Chechen leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, they are undoubtedly the two most powerful Russian men outside the walls of the Kremlin. This is clearly not lost on Putin as he battles to keep a hold of his own position amid constant rumours of a power struggle behind the scenes with the vultures circling on him.

“President Putin and Yevgeny Prigozhin have been very close contacts and allies for decades. 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 told the Daily Mirror.

He added: “It is believed that by implication his criticism of the conduct of the regular forces and their commanders is a slight against Putin, who now sees him as a potential rival”.

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