A former leading Wagner commander whom Russian President Vladimir Putin met with earlier in this week "was probably involved in encouraging other Wagner personnel to sign contracts, contributing to the insurrection," the UK Ministry of Defense said in its latest intelligence update.

Andrey Troshev is a former aide of late Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who was killed in a plane crash north of Moscow in August. Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov was also present at the meeting between Putin and Troshev.

Putin told Troshev to start setting up new "volunteer fighting units."

Troshev took up a role in Russia's official security forces around the time of Prigozhin's short-lived mutiny against the Russian general staff in June, the ministry said. "Many Wagner veterans likely consider him a traitor," the ministry added. 

Yevkurov has recently been pictured touring African states. "Presidential endorsement of Troshev and Yevkurov indicates Russia’s continuing utilisation of volunteer units and private military companies, and planning for the future of Wagner," the ministry said.

It is seen as a sign that the Kremlin wants Wagner mercenaries to keep fighting in the war but under the Defense Ministry's command. Troshev now officially works for the Defense Ministry.