Putin Says Wagner Group Fully Financed by Russian Government

Meanwhile, Wagner’s owner, the Concord company, received 80 bln rubles ($940 mln) from the state in one year for supplying food and providing food services to the army, the Russian leader noted

Russian President Vladimir Putin Mikhail Tereshchenko, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

© Mikhail Tereshchenko, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

MOSCOW, June 27. /TASS/. The Russian government fully ensured the financing of the Wagner Private Military Company (PMC), President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with the Defense Ministry’s military personnel.

"I want to note and I want everyone to know that the financing of the entire Wagner group was fully ensured by the state," he said. "We fully financed this group from the Defense Ministry, from the state budget," Putin added.

From May 2022 to May 2023, the state alone allocated 86.2 bln rubles ($1 bln) to PMC Wagner in the form of salary to fighters and incentive rewards, the president noted. "Of that amount, remuneration equaled 70.38 bln [rubles], incentive rewards amounted to 15.87 bln [rubles], insurance payments totaled 110.17 bln [rubles]," he said.

Meanwhile, Wagner’s owner, the Concord company, received 80 bln rubles ($940 mln) from the state in one year for supplying food and providing food services to the army, Putin added. "The state fully ensured the financing [of Wagner], whereas a portion of that group, this Concord company, earned 80 bln rubles during the same period," he said. "Hopefully, nobody stole anything during these activities or, let’s say, stole less," he noted. "We will obviously look into all this," the president stressed.

Russia unveils cutting-edge kamikaze drone — producer

The item will be able to carry a payload in the form of a 220-250 gram warhead

MOSCOW, June 28. /TASS/. The unmanned aviation design bureau has developed a portable, tube-launched aircraft-type kamikaze drone called the Vector-120, the entity told TASS.

"Engineering efforts and pilot production of individual units of the Vector-120 loitering munition are underway now," the design bureau said. "We plan to enter the flight test phase as early as 2024. The device will be launched from a disposable launch tube in the serviceman’s gear," it noted.

The item will be able to carry a payload in the form of a 220-250 gram warhead. "This is quite enough to surpass the destructive effect of RGD-5 or F-1 grenades or compete with the RPG-7 grenade launcher round," the design bureau noted.

Similar mechanisms are used in the US’ Switchblade tactical loitering munition, the developer said. However, in contrast to the US product, the Vector-120 can start from any position. "The item can be launched without visible smoke, fly to a certain distance from the launcher, unfold its wings and carry out the flight mission," the company added.