Vladimir Putin has offered has Wagner fighters three choices - but he can't afford to lose them from the Ukraine war

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President Putin cannot afford to lose his best and most experienced fighters from the war - and has offered them choices, while the future of Yevgeny Prigozhin remains unclear, military analyst Sean Bell writes.

 

 

President Putin is directing a major "damage limitation" exercise in Russia to re-impose his authority and purge those responsible for the potential coup attempt, following Yevgeny Prigozhin's abortive "march for justice" towards the Russian capital last weekend.

But what of Prigozhin? Is he a dead man walking, or is his exile to Belarus simply an opportunity for Russia to bolster its military capability there?

Putin has control over Russian oligarchs since he has influence over the contracts upon which they rely for their wealth, thus creating a dependency culture and minimising the risks of any uprising. Prigozhin is a successful Russian oligarch who has exploited a close friendship with Putin to mutual benefit.

 

Analysis article