Employees of Wagner and those working for other Russian private military contractors have been asked by President Vladimir Putin to swear allegiance to the Russian state and sign an oath in this regard.
The edict is binding on everyone who takes part in military operations in Ukraine, provides assistance to the armed forces, or serves in formations responsible for territorial defense.
On Friday, he put his signature to the decree, which went into force right away.
It comes just two days after it was widely believed that the leaders of Wagner were killed in an aircraft accident.
In a dramatic turn of events on Saturday, a section of Wagner known as Rusich, which is associated with the far right, announced that it will cease its military actions in Ukraine.
Rusich accused Russia's foreign ministry of failing to protect a founding member of the group, Yan Petrovsky. Petrovsky was arrested in Finland for visa breaches and is facing extradition to Ukraine. The accusation was made in a post that Rusich made on Telegram.
Analysts are of the opinion that Mr. Putin's decision is part of an effort to regain his control in the wake of the rebellion led by Wagner in June.
According to Natia Seskuria, a researcher at the Royal United Services Institute in London, who spoke with the BBC, Vladimir Putin "wants to have tighter control on Wagner in order to ensure that he won't be facing another crisis in the future."
The directive was issued during a time when the Wagner mercenaries do not have a clear leader. This is because a plane that was believed to be transporting Yevgeny Prigozhin and other leaders crashed on Wednesday, taking the lives of all 10 persons on board.
The pledge includes a promise to strictly follow the instructions of commanders, and it is described as a step toward building the spiritual and moral foundations of Russia's defense in the regulation.
"It is a concealed message to military intelligence to find and prosecute Wagner fighters," Petro Burkovskyi, the chairman of the Democratic Initiatives Foundation, a think tank based in Ukraine, told the BBC. Burkovskyi was speaking to the BBC on behalf of the Democratic Initiatives Foundation.
In addition, he makes it plain that this is also a message to the combatants, saying that they must either take the pledge and keep their weapons or disarm themselves. You must obey me or you will be sent to jail.
In the weeks leading up to the failed revolt in Prigozhin in June, the Russian defense ministry offered mercenary groups the deadline of July 1 to sign contracts with the Russian army.
Prigozhin did not sign the document because he did not want Wagner to be subject to the authority of the ministry. It was the first public blow that Mr. Putin dealt to his long-term ally Prigozhin when he gave his support to the ministry's contract arrangement.
The argument became more heated, which ultimately resulted in Prigozhin's rebellion.
However, given that there is no clear leader among the Wagner fighters, what impact would the decree have on them?
Mr. Burkovskyi is of the opinion that due to their extensive military experience, they are valuable assets for the Russian army.
"They selected Wagner because Wagner provided them with preferential treatment, free from the bureaucracy of the massive Russian army." If Putin gives them orders to receive preferential treatment, I don't think they will care where, to whom, or for whom they fight as long as they get what they want.
Ms. Seskuria is of the opinion that there are devoted Prigozhin followers who will not take the oath, despite the fact that the edict might have an effect in the short term.
"This can potentially create problems for Putin in a longer term perspective," he argues. "This is something that we should keep in mind."
In the meantime, officials have stated that Russian air defenses were successful in preventing drone assaults on the Moscow and Belgorod districts on Saturday morning.
According to the governor of the region, four persons were injured when shelling occurred in the Belgorod region that borders Ukraine.
The government of Ukraine practically never confirms in public that it was responsible for assaults within Russian territory.
According to the regional governor of Kharkiv, Russia shelled a Ukrainian village close to the town of Kupiansk in the country's north-eastern region, causing the deaths of two persons and the injury of another.
The edict is binding on everyone who takes part in military operations in Ukraine, provides assistance to the armed forces, or serves in formations responsible for territorial defense.
On Friday, he put his signature to the decree, which went into force right away.
It comes just two days after it was widely believed that the leaders of Wagner were killed in an aircraft accident.
In a dramatic turn of events on Saturday, a section of Wagner known as Rusich, which is associated with the far right, announced that it will cease its military actions in Ukraine.
Rusich accused Russia's foreign ministry of failing to protect a founding member of the group, Yan Petrovsky. Petrovsky was arrested in Finland for visa breaches and is facing extradition to Ukraine. The accusation was made in a post that Rusich made on Telegram.
Analysts are of the opinion that Mr. Putin's decision is part of an effort to regain his control in the wake of the rebellion led by Wagner in June.
According to Natia Seskuria, a researcher at the Royal United Services Institute in London, who spoke with the BBC, Vladimir Putin "wants to have tighter control on Wagner in order to ensure that he won't be facing another crisis in the future."
The directive was issued during a time when the Wagner mercenaries do not have a clear leader. This is because a plane that was believed to be transporting Yevgeny Prigozhin and other leaders crashed on Wednesday, taking the lives of all 10 persons on board.
The pledge includes a promise to strictly follow the instructions of commanders, and it is described as a step toward building the spiritual and moral foundations of Russia's defense in the regulation.
"It is a concealed message to military intelligence to find and prosecute Wagner fighters," Petro Burkovskyi, the chairman of the Democratic Initiatives Foundation, a think tank based in Ukraine, told the BBC. Burkovskyi was speaking to the BBC on behalf of the Democratic Initiatives Foundation.
In addition, he makes it plain that this is also a message to the combatants, saying that they must either take the pledge and keep their weapons or disarm themselves. You must obey me or you will be sent to jail.
In the weeks leading up to the failed revolt in Prigozhin in June, the Russian defense ministry offered mercenary groups the deadline of July 1 to sign contracts with the Russian army.
Prigozhin did not sign the document because he did not want Wagner to be subject to the authority of the ministry. It was the first public blow that Mr. Putin dealt to his long-term ally Prigozhin when he gave his support to the ministry's contract arrangement.
The argument became more heated, which ultimately resulted in Prigozhin's rebellion.
However, given that there is no clear leader among the Wagner fighters, what impact would the decree have on them?
Mr. Burkovskyi is of the opinion that due to their extensive military experience, they are valuable assets for the Russian army.
"They selected Wagner because Wagner provided them with preferential treatment, free from the bureaucracy of the massive Russian army." If Putin gives them orders to receive preferential treatment, I don't think they will care where, to whom, or for whom they fight as long as they get what they want.
Ms. Seskuria is of the opinion that there are devoted Prigozhin followers who will not take the oath, despite the fact that the edict might have an effect in the short term.
"This can potentially create problems for Putin in a longer term perspective," he argues. "This is something that we should keep in mind."
In the meantime, officials have stated that Russian air defenses were successful in preventing drone assaults on the Moscow and Belgorod districts on Saturday morning.
According to the governor of the region, four persons were injured when shelling occurred in the Belgorod region that borders Ukraine.
The government of Ukraine practically never confirms in public that it was responsible for assaults within Russian territory.
According to the regional governor of Kharkiv, Russia shelled a Ukrainian village close to the town of Kupiansk in the country's north-eastern region, causing the deaths of two persons and the injury of another.
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