The Russian news agency reported, citing a senior lawmaker on Thursday, that Russia informed the head of the Wagner private military group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, that he would be deprived of funding if his fighters did not sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense. The TASS agency quoted Colonel General Andrei Kartapolov, chairman of the Defense Committee in the State Duma, stating that Prigozhin refused to sign the contracts and was thus informed that his fighters would not participate in the fighting in Ukraine from now on.
Kremlin Data
The Kremlin indicated on Thursday that its data shows strong support among Russian citizens for what Moscow describes as a "special military operation" in Ukraine and for Russian President Vladimir Putin. This comment came in response to a question during a news briefing by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov regarding a poll suggesting an equal number of supporters for negotiating an end to the military operation, which has been ongoing for 16 months, as there are those who prefer to continue the conflict. Peskov added, "The data we have shows something completely different—a widespread approval for the special military operation and for the president," emphasizing that "the main issue for Russians is achieving the goals we have outlined, which were set by the president."
