They have uses for him

"It is probable that many of the tip-offs for his various investigations do come from Kremlin insiders; underneath the surface loyalty, a brutal battle for power and influence goes on inside the Russian elite. But even if they have occasional uses for him, Putin’s men have long grappled with the issue of how to deal with Navalny." (The Guardian.)

Which is correct regarding "they have occasional uses for him" in the above: they find him as a useful 'tool' in their "brutal battle for power and influence" or they supply him with something to be used by him in his struggle against Putin's regime?