Putin appoints ex-aide of Wagner leader to oversee contractors in SMO

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
29 Sep 2023 11:21

A retired colonel who goes by the nickname "Sedoi" (meaning Gray-haired), Andrei Treshov originates from Saint Petersburg.

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov left, and Chairman of the St. Petersburg regional public organization "League for the Protection of the Interests of Veterans of Local Wars and Military Conflicts" retired Col. Andrey Troshev listen to Russian President Vladimir Putin, unseen, during their meeting in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

The Kremlin announced on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has assigned a former aide of the late Wagner PMC leader Yevgeny Prigozhin to supervise volunteer fighter groups in Ukraine.

"At the last meeting we talked about you overseeing the formation of volunteer units that can carry out various tasks, first and foremost of course in the zone of the special military operation," Putin was quoted as saying to Andrei Troshev.

The meeting, which also included Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, underscored the integration of Wagner Group contractors into the Russian army.

Troshev, a retired colonel who goes by the nickname "Sedoi" (meaning Gray-haired), originates from Saint Petersburg.

He is a highly decorated veteran with extensive experience in military operations in Afghanistan, Chechnya, and Syria.

Notably, he served as one of the leaders of the Wagner Group in Syria, a role that led to his inclusion on the European Union's sanctions list in December 2021.

Wagner is returning to the combat zone.

Putin met with Deputy Defense Minister, Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, and former Chief of Staff of the Wagner PMC, Andrei Troshev.

“Andrei Nikolaevich, at the last meeting we talked about the fact that you will form volunteer units that can perform… pic.twitter.com/GSLJJ7EifJ
— Sentletse 🇷🇺🇿🇦 (@Sentletse) September 29, 2023

The late Yevgeny Prigozhin lost his life along with nine others in an airplane crash on August 23 while traveling from Moscow to Saint Petersburg.

Just two months prior to his death, Prigozhin had openly defied Russia's military leadership by initiating a brief mutiny with his contractors, a move that posed a potential risk of escalating into civil conflict.

Observers have noted that this mutiny represented one of the most significant challenges to the current leadership.

Prigozhin eventually called off the mutiny, seemingly reaching an agreement with the Kremlin, facilitated by Belarusian mediation. He faced no criminal charges for his actions.