Russian President Vladimir Putin is forming private militias across Russia. The plans for the private military companies, or "special enterprises," were noted in a new bill that raises the draft age for the Russian military. It comes weeks after the mutiny by Russia's Wagner mercenary group, which exposed gaps in Putin's defenses. According to the report, Putin's militias would be under the command of regional governors, operate at Putin's behest, and would be armed by the Russian Ministry of Defense. "They are a tool to enhance security [important given very active clandestine actions by Ukrainian military intelligence], and can, as necessary, help against any new mutiny," said Sokov.

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Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Andrey Kartapolov, Russia's Wagner, Putin, Nikolai Sokov Organizations: Service, Daily Beast, Fighters, Kremlin, Russian Ministry of Defense, Barents Observer, Daily Locations: Russia, Russian, Wall, Silicon, Rostov, Moscow, Norwegian, Ukraine