Wagner group accused of war crimes in Ukraine conflict.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner group, has publicly refused an attempt by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu to bring his fighting force under its sway, saying that Wagner fighters would not sign any contract with Shoigu. The defence ministry had ordered all "volunteer detachments" to sign contracts with the ministry by the end of the month, a step it said would increase the effectiveness of the Russian army. Prigozhin said Wagner was completely subordinate to the interests of Russia but that its highly efficient command structure would be damaged by reporting to Shoigu.
