President Putin signed a decree requiring members of volunteer military units participating in the defense of the territory to swear an oath of allegiance to the Russian flag.
According to the decree signed by President Vladimir Putin and effective from August 25, those who must take the oath before the national flag include members of volunteer units, those participating in completing tasks assigned to the army or other military units of Russia, as well as those involved in territorial defense activities.
The decree stipulates that those who have taken the oath while serving in the Russian or Soviet army do not need to do the same. The decree is issued to "form the spiritual and moral foundations for the protection of the Russian Federation, its independence and constitutional order".
Members of the Stalingrad volunteer army unit stand in front of the Motherland Calls monument in Volgograd, Russia on January 17. Photo: RIA Novosti
"The content of the oath is as follows: I (full name) swear allegiance to the Russian Federation, pledge to abide by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, strictly obey the orders of commanders and superiors, and conscientiously perform the assigned tasks. I swear to devote myself to the Russian Federation, courageously defend the independence and constitutional order of the country," the decree reads.
Russia has 40 volunteer military units. Many volunteer military units, along with regular Russian forces, are participating in the battles with Ukraine, including members of the Wagner group and volunteers from the Russian Republic of Chechnya.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced on June 9 that all volunteer military units must sign contracts with the agency by July. The decision is aimed at increasing the combat potential and effectiveness of volunteer military units, as well as building a "unified approach to military tasks." President Putin said on June 13 that about 156,000 people have signed contracts with the Russian military.
However, Prigozhin refused to sign the contract in June. Thousands of Wagner members staged a riot on June 24 to protest against Russian military leaders. The incident ended after 24 hours under an agreement brokered by the Belarusian president, which granted Wagner members immunity from prosecution and allowed them to move to Belarus.
The Embraer Legacy 600 crashed in Tver, Russia on August 23. The passenger list included Yevgeny Prigozhin. Russian authorities announced that they had found the bodies of all 10 people, but have not released their identities or confirmed that the tycoon was killed. However, Wagner members have organized a memorial service for Prigozhin.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said today that Wagner will stay in the country but did not say who will lead the force.
Nguyen Tien (According to RIA Novosti, TASS, AFP )
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