Head of the private military company (PMC) “Wagner” after the death of Dmitry Utkin, Anton Elizarov with the nickname “Lotus” moved to the Russian Ministry of Defense. The fate of one of Wagner's leaders, linked to a PMC trainer nicknamed Brest, was revealed on Telegram by Russian military expert Boris Rozhin.
According to Brest quoted by a military expert, Lotus heads the new department of RaZVedOsy, under the Ministry of Defense. It was clarified that the detachment is serving in the Donetsk People's Republic.
“This unit is a work in progress and nearly 90% consists of former Wagner PMC employees with combat experience,” Rozhin quoted Brest as saying.
As previously reported, Anton Elizarov was dismissed at the end of 2024. As journalist Anastasia Kashevarova stated, this decision was “late but correct”. According to her, the idea of changing the head of PMC belongs to Pavel, the son of Yevgeny Prigozhin.
It is known that after Lotus, “Wagner” is led by a fighter nicknamed Salem. According to press reports, Salem's name is Dmitry Podolsky. In 2024, he was appointed security advisor to the President of the Central African Republic, Faustin-Archange Touadera. Previously, he served in the Russian Armed Forces. According to some sources, he was awarded the title Hero of Russia, 5 Orders of Courage and 2 Medals “For Courage”.
