Russia's national guard is recruiting ex-Wagner fighters into volunteer units in a sign that Moscow has increased its control over the mercenary group, the UK Ministry of Defence has said.
MoD intelligence reveals Rosgvardia is "incorporating three former Wagner assault detachments... into its first Volunter Corps formation".
It comes after Vladimir Putin signed a law in December authorising the national guard to form volunteer units.
The MoD says the units will likely be deployed to Ukraine and Africa.
"The incorporation of former Wagner assault detachments into Rosgvardia's Volunteer Corps highly likely indicates that Wagner has been successfully subordinated to Rosgvardia, increasing the Russian state's command and control over the Wagner Group," the MoD said.
The future of the Wagner Group was thrown into doubt after an aborted mutiny on Moscow in June and the death of its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, in a plane crash two months later.
