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Special Dispatch No. 10991
Putin: 'We Are Now Fighting Not Just For Russia's Freedom But For The Freedom Of The Whole World'
On November 28, 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed, via videoconference, the plenary session of the World Russian People's Council. The key topic of the forum, dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the organization's establishment, was the “Present and Future of the Russian World.” Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, as well as representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church and other Russian centralized religious organizations, government bodies, public associations, and prominent academic and cultural figures took part in the event.
During his speech, Putin emphasized that Russia is “fighting not just for Russia's freedom but for the freedom of the whole world.” Putin added: “We can frankly say that the dictatorship of one hegemon [i.e., the United States] is becoming decrepit. We see it, and everyone sees it now. It is getting out of control and is simply dangerous for others. This is now clear to the global majority. But again, it is our country that is now at the forefront of building a fairer world order. And I would like to stress this: without a sovereign and strong Russia, no lasting and stable international system is possible.”
(Source: Kremlin.ru)
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Special Dispatch No. 10992
Amid Conflict With Russian Defense Ministry, Mercenaries Formerly Part Of Wagner Group Join Russian National Guard
On August 25, 2023, almost a month after the rebellion of the Wagner Group, Russian Presidential Administration Spoksman Dmitry Peskov, commenting during a briefing with a journalist on the future of the Wagner Group, made a convoluted statement: “Let us not forget that there is no such structure, there is no de jure PMC 'Wagner.' There is, indeed, the 'Wagner' group.”Such attention to the formality of registration is notable, as it was reiterated by Peskov on September 6,and by Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 5, who said that “Wagner” is a term used by journalists for a structure that does not exist.
This statement contradicts his June 27 statement, in which he said: “The state provided full maintenance to the entire Wagner group – [from the budget of] the Defense Ministry, from the state budget. We have fully financed this group.”Such a duality and attention to fortmality may be attributed to the fact that the U.S. had sanctioned the group and U.K. proscribed the group as a terrorist organization.
Chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee Andrei Kartapolov later said that Wagner “has been finally disbanded” and that the majority of its fighters had transferred to other structures “in African countries, but already under, let us say, a different brand and under the aegis of the Defense Ministry,” joined the armed forces, or the country's National Guard, called the Rosgvardia.
Wagner Telegram Channels Remain Active
Wagner Telegram channels continue to highlight the activities of fighters in African countries, Belarus, and Ukrane, refering to participants in the events as members of the Wagner Group. This statement was denied by several channels associated with Wagner.The following items are example of that stance.
On November 27, 2023, the “Wagner Orchestra | Wagner” Telegram channel posted an image of the badges of Wagner fighters currently operating in Mali. The first image shows the patch of the company's Fifth Assault Squad. The caption on the badge reads: “kill 'em all f*cking dead.”
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