Putin Holds Private Meeting with 'Yorisa' to Discuss Ukraine Strategy... Cronyism Deepens

Military Defeats Deepen Distrust in the Armed Forces
Discontent Spreads Among Senior Officials Amid Intensified Cronyism

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] As the Russian military suffers consecutive defeats on the Ukrainian front, it has been reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin is increasingly discussing war issues with some close aides rather than the military, deepening the problem of crony politics. In particular, the influence of unofficial power figures such as Yevgeny Prigozhin, who leads the Wagner Group mercenary unit at the forefront of the Ukraine war, and Ramzan Kadyrov, who commands the Chechen mercenary forces, is reportedly growing.

With President Putin's approval ratings and political standing narrowing, and the unchecked power of his close aides expanding, dissatisfaction among senior officials is also increasing. In fact, as the military and bureaucrats conducting operations find it increasingly difficult to understand the supreme commander's intentions, forecasts suggest that the situation of the Russian military will worsen further.

'Putin's Chef' Prigozhin Increasing Private Meetings

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

On the 25th (local time), The Washington Post (WP) cited a Russian intelligence report submitted to U.S. President Joe Biden, reporting that President Putin has recently been holding frequent private meetings with Yevgeny Prigozhin, his personal chef and leader of the Russian mercenary company Wagner Group. Prigozhin is said to have pointed out in these meetings that the Russian military's strategy in the Ukraine war was flawed and that the supply situation was critical.

Prigozhin is known to have been Putin's personal chef even before Putin came to power, and after Putin's rise, he was appointed CEO of Concord Catering, Russia's largest catering company. He also established the mercenary company Wagner Group under this catering firm and has led it as Putin's personal guard unit.

Previously known only as an unofficial power figure who rarely appeared publicly, he has recently increased the number of private meetings with President Putin and is said to have begun exerting strong influence over the Russian military. Recently, he has even voluntarily given interviews to Russian media, criticizing the Russian Ministry of Defense's strategy regarding the situation on the Ukrainian front, and after the implementation of the mobilization order, he has been directly encouraging recruitment of soldiers, thereby expanding his influence.

Alongside Prigozhin, another close aide of President Putin whose influence has recently grown within Russia is Ramzan Kadyrov, commander of the Chechen forces. After organizing the Chechen militia in 1999, he surrendered to the Russian government and subsequently participated in the 2008 Georgia war and the 2017 Syrian war, leading his mercenary forces and earning Putin's favor.

He is reported to have been personally awarded the rank of Colonel General, the third highest command rank in the Russian military, by President Putin on the 5th. Kadyrov stated on his Telegram channel, "President Putin personally informed me that he would award me the rank of Colonel General and congratulated me." Kadyrov has also declared that his three teenage sons will be deployed to the Ukraine war and is recently encouraging new recruitments.

Shaken Russian Military... Eyes on the Next Defense Minister

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The reason Putin's close aides, previously known as unofficial power figures, have recently been increasing their influence is analyzed to be due to the weakening position of Sergei Shoigu, the Defense Minister and one of Putin's closest aides. As calls for the replacement of the Defense Minister grow amid continued defeats, crony politics are becoming more rampant over the key position of Defense Minister, one of Putin's closest posts.

WP reported, "Putin's close aides are competing to gain strong political influence within the regime as a countermeasure to financial pressure caused by U.S. and Western sanctions against Russia," adding, "Defense Minister Shoigu is currently almost excluded from his duties due to responsibility for the ongoing defeats, and battlefield reports are being made directly by commanders at various levels."

As crony politics deepen, dissatisfaction among the Russian military and senior officials is also growing. A Russian official told WP in an interview, "The growing influence of close aides like Prigozhin and Kadyrov means the government is operating in a medieval criminal gang atmosphere rather than a modern state," and added, "Russian senior officials and elites will not continue to tolerate this situation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.