Why are Russian oligarchs forming private armies? - DW News

[TexasTowelie]

Reports from Russia suggest Gazprom and other Russian firms are setting up their own private armies.

The state oil firm Gazprom has long employed people with military backgrounds to guard its assets around the world. But industry observers claim an armed unit employed by Gazprom is now active on the front line. That appeared to be confirmed by the head of Russia's paramilitary Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, in an interview.

But other Russian oligarchs are reportedly forming paramilitary groups for future deployment. What are they afraid will happen?

[gordianot]

1. Maybe they fear tall buildings and other heights?

[live love laugh]

2. Emulating American Republicans?

[jaxexpat]

3. This isn't an innovation. It's a following of form exercise.

The British empire expanded as it bought into the concept that among its duties and responsibilities was that its military existed to secure the endeavors of its merchant and industrial leaders around the globe. The US essentially followed that example up to the advent of the Vietnam lesson but since, with the exception of some central and south American adventures and the bludgeoning of Iraq, has kept its military useful as a consumer, perpetually upgrading in a manic readiness status, relying on relatively small, special and secret ops units to perform the actual trigger pulling as required. The whole point being that the industries homed within a given nation's borders are usually the primary motivation for investment in a standing military whether private or federally maintained.

Russia's situation is only different in that it is not really a nation at all in any modern sense but the product of an agreement between industrial leaders within the state to support the warlord state leader as may be required. Though, at this point in the disastrous Ukraine invasion it seems their faith in the agreement is strained and they no longer trust the state leadership to provide them with security. Some of them may toss a few troops into the bloodbath as a show of "good faith" with Putin and his organization but they will certainly hold their best as reserves for unpredictable but eventual security challenges. Challenges which may come from the warlord himself as he eats his own in desperation. Challenges which they see darkening the horizon in a coming storm of war's most readily available and undervalued commodity, wholesale misery.

[marble falls]

4. Fear of history repeating ...

[OldBaldy1701E]

5. Because they know what's coming.

That Putin guy has lost his mind and like other leaders who lost their minds, he is hell bent on destroying everything if he cannot get his way. So, they are preparing for the inevitable collapse of the Putin regime. They are preparing for the moment when the people of Russia have had enough and decide to do something about it. They're protecting their hordes like the greedy lizards they are.

[2naSalit]

6. That will be an interesting...

Set of events when it comes crashing down around pootypoot.

I'm rooting for a complete break up of the federation. There are several regional ethnic groups who are tired of being subjected to authoritarian rule.

[OldBaldy1701E]

7. Exactly. (n/t)

[dutch777]

8. Won't do them much good when the money is worthless and they don't get fed

If they aren't killed outright in whatever chaos happens when Putin and Russia implode, they will drift away for lack of supplies and relative safety in anonymity.