The Wagner Group’s feud with the regular Russian military has apparently peaked with mercenaries from the group now threatening to “rape” a lawmaker and lieutenant-general who spoke out against the notorious paramilitary force.
A video appeal circulated on Wagner-linked Telegram channels shows three masked fighters vowing revenge against lawmaker Viktor Sobolev.
“We are fighters in Bakhmut,” one man says, identifying himself as a draftee called up under Vladimir Putin’s mobilization order.
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The other two men identify themselves as members of Wagner–one a regular mercenary, and one an ex-convict recruited by the group.
“We want to tell lawmaker Sobolev–if you, motherfucker, stick your nose in, and Russia loses the war because of motherfuckers like you, we will have to come to Red Square to protect our people and fuck you and people like you in the ass. So fucking come here, you old fucker.”
The threat comes after Sobolev, a member of the State Duma’s defense committee, vowed to have military draftees who join Wagner jailed for up to 15 years, calling the mercenary group an “illegal” military formation.
Prigozhin reacted with outrage, cursing out Sobolev and challenging him to come to the frontline to “show what he’s capable of.”
Though Prigozhin has been railing against military officials for months, his attacks have recently hit a fever pitch, with the Wagner founder publicly admitting in a video last week that the mercenary group was “wasting ammo” executing Russian troops who retreat from the battlefield.
The Washington Post also reported over the weekend that the mercenary boss had offered to provide Russian troop locations to Ukraine if Ukrainian troops would withdraw from Bakhmut, a proposal that was ultimately denied.
The Russian presidential administration is now said to be preparing a smear campaign to discredit the outspoken mercenary boss who seems to relish in making enemies.
