The regular troops and the Wagner irregulars have to fight on the same side: It helps advance the geopolitical agenda. In Syria, for all intents and purposes, Wagner is working for Mr Assad, not Russia ("Syrian militia members"). The incident shows how allowing Russian irregulars into conflicts because they can be helpful to Mr Putin's agenda can get risky. Grigory Yavlinsky, a liberal who is running in Russia's pretend presidential election, has demanded Mr Putin account for the Russian deaths. The returning mercenaries will also tell tales of official indifference: I doubt they fully understand how loose the ties are between them and the regular Russian military.

Source: Bangkok Post February 15, 2018 21:56 UTC