Russia experienced the Wagner rebellion.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has always tried, mostly successfully, to present himself as the man who decides in the Kremlin. He appeared as a decisive leader, who skillfully balanced the elites to maintain control over Russia’s political system.
And then along came Yevgeny Prigozhin, a former hot dog vendor, who threatened Russia with possibly its worst internal security crisis in 30 years – and backed the normally calm Putin into a corner.
Russia’s longest-serving leader since Joseph Stalin faced a list of terrible options.
For now, the danger seems to have passed. Prigogine seems to turn his forces around and putting them back in their places.
We still don’t know what, if any, concessions Prigozhin received for his retreat.
No confirmation of personnel changes in the Russian Defense Ministry have been made..
Also, we do not know how this series of events will affect the already chaotic Russian military situation at the front.
But we know none of this would have happened if Putin hadn’t attacked Ukraine.
Putin formed a quasi-military to retain Russian influence without using their military, but he couldn’t fully command it.
Putin raised a cruel and perhaps unstable man who acted unmanageable.
Everything was already ready, just waiting for one wrong spark.
In Ukraine, Prigozhin’s Wagner mercenary forces are known for their brutality and dedication. These “shock troops” from Moscow show no mercy towards deserters and prioritize battlefield victory over destruction.
Prigozhin has been in a long-running feud with the senior leadership of the Russian military since the war in Ukraine began last year.
With the increase in casualties, he became more irritated with Russian General Valery Gerasimov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
Before ordering his men to revolt, the ex-restaurateur accused Gerasimov and Shoigu of lying to Putin and the Russian people about the invasion of Ukraine..
Putin had kept his distance from the Wagner-military rivalry.. It was also a matter of necessity and control.
Wagner’s mercenary group provided Russia with fighters, delaying mobilization..
Prigozhin’s rampage also kept the Russian generals honest. If Prigozhin left the president alone, the Kremlin mostly tolerated him.
But Putin’s calculations changed when Prigozhin went too far.
Tolerating rosy words directed at his generals is one thing, tolerating a potential armed rebellion is quite another.
They then headed north towards Moscow and engaged in a firefight with Russian security forces in the Voronezh region.
The British Ministry of Defense reported that some Russian soldiers were “passive towards the Wagnerites”. This suggests that some local Russian units were not interested in fighting compatriots. Perhaps they were even complicit in Prigozhin’s attitude.
Putin apparently took the threat seriously.
Russian police targeted Wagner’s headquarters in St. Petersburg. Security forces in Moscow were on high alert. The National Anti-Terrorism Committee accused him of inciting armed rebellion.
Prigozhin and his men could theoretically enter Moscow as conquering heroes.
Putin’s regime has already suffered damage. His glow of invincibility was diminished, if not completely gone. Putin will have to work to win back public opinion knowing that he has only himself to blame.
They then headed north towards Moscow and engaged in a firefight with Russian security forces in the Voronezh region.
The British Ministry of Defense reported that some Russian soldiers were “passive towards the Wagnerites”. This suggests that some local Russian units were either not interested in fighting compatriots. Perhaps they were even complicit in Prigozhin’s attitude.
Putin apparently took the threat seriously.
Russian police targeted Wagner’s headquarters in St. Petersburg. Security forces in Moscow were on high alert. The National Anti-Terrorism Committee accused him of inciting armed rebellion.
Prigozhin and his men could theoretically enter Moscow as conquering heroes.
Putin’s regime has already suffered damage. His glow of invincibility was diminished, if not completely gone. Putin will have to work to win back public opinion knowing that he has only himself to blame.
If there’s one thing Putin can’t stand, it’s betrayal.
And Wagner’s invasion of Russian territory, no matter how short it was, was a betrayal – not only of Russia but also of Putin himself.
Prigozhin would probably still be just an ordinary restaurateur if it weren’t for Putin.
Everything that Wagner’s leader has today, from wealth to fame, he would never have been able to achieve if he had not established a relationship with Putin in the 1990s.
Wagner fighters took control of the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, seizing government and security buildings there.
They then headed north towards Moscow and engaged in a firefight with Russian security forces in the Voronezh region.
The British Ministry of Defense reported that some Russian soldiers were “passive towards the Wagnerites”, suggesting that some local Russian units were uninterested in fighting compatriots or perhaps even complicit in Prigozhin’s attitude.
Putin apparently took the threat seriously.
Russian police targeted Wagner’s headquarters in St. Petersburg. Security forces in Moscow were on high alert. The National Anti-Terrorism Committee accused him of calling for armed insurrection.
While the world watched from a distance, Prigozhin and his men could theoretically have entered Moscow as conquering heroes.
Putin’s regime has already suffered damage. His glow of invincibility was diminished, if not completely gone. And Putin will have to work on winning back public opinion, knowing that it is only his fault.
