Wagner Group head Yevgeny Priogzhin rejected Vladimir Putin's push to have mercenaries sign contracts with the Russian army. Priogzhin has been a harsh critic of the Russian Military of Defense and Putin's handling of the war in Ukraine. That is why they will not sign the contracts," Priogzhin said, according to the UK's Ministry of Defense. On June 10, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that "volunteer formations" like Wagner Group fighters must sign official contracts with the Russian Army, the UK intel sources said. One expert described the relationship between the Russian army and the Wagner Group as "dysfunctional."

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Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Priogzhin, Vladimir Putin's, Priogzhin, —, Putin Organizations: Russian Military of Defense, Service, Group, Russian Army, UK's Ministry of Defense, Russian Ministry of Defense, Wagner Group, intel, — Ministry of Defence Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia