Russian President Vladimir Putin recently issued an executive order commanding military units to swear an oath of allegiance to the Russian state, according to a report from JURIST. The order stipulates that individuals must “strictly follow the orders of commanders and superiors.” As per Article 87 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the President does hold the role of the “supreme commander-in-chief of the armed forces.”
The directive came just two days following the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the influential Russian mercenary group Wagner, in a plane crash. Prior to his death, Prigozhin had been involved in a coup attempt against Putin in June, which resulted from the Russian Defense Ministry’s alleged failure to supply the Wagner forces with needed resources.
The backlash began when Prigozhin openly criticized Putin’s military officials for the lack of supplies. In response, Moscow instructed the Wagner forces to sign contracts with the Defense Ministry, a move designed to bring Wagner’s private military contractors under federal oversight. With Prigozhin’s refusal, he led his troops into Russia, stopping just outside Moscow.
This new allegiance oath and the death of Prigozhin are widely seen as Putin’s means of reclaiming control over the Russian military and associated volunteer forces. As per the order, the oath is to be taken by all military and volunteer units involved in “territorial defense,” and the “Special Military Operation” in Ukraine – the term used by Russian authorities to describe the war in Ukraine.
Russian representatives have denied any involvement in the accident that led to Prigozhin’s death. Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, declared that any allegations against Putin or the Russian state “are absolute lies.”
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