Russian General and Master Spy Duo Forge New Alliance in Africa Following Prigozhin's Downfall
Russia's Deputy Defence Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and General Andrei Averyanov from the GRU military intelligence agency have been making trips to Africa, positioning themselves as the main organizers of Russian relationships with the continent following the death of Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. Yevkurov, known for his negotiation skills, and Averyanov, a notorious general from the GRU, have been meeting with political leaders and remaining Wagner mercenaries in Mali, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. They are seen as successors to Prigozhin and are expected to continue Russia's engagement in Africa, albeit through more official channels. However, the decentralization and hybrid warfare tactics of Wagner's operations may still be useful to Moscow, and the reorganization of Russian operations in Africa is expected to be a slow process.