Yevgeny Prigozhin‘s had staged insurrection in Russia, led by his private paramilitary group Wagner by raising concerns about Putin’s control, but it abruptly ended as Prigozhin agreed to leave for Belarus in a deal brokered by Lukashenko.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is facing the biggest challenge to his authority in decades when Prigozhin launched a fresh tirade against the military on Friday before seizing control of military facilities in the southern Russian cities of Rostov-on-Don and Voronezh. Russian President Vladimir Putin is facing the biggest challenge to his authority in decades as Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian billionaire and former close associate, launched a fresh tirade against the military on Friday before seizing control of military facilities in the southern Russian cities of Rostov-on-Don and Voronezh.
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This brazen display of unrest in Russia has garnered international attention. However, in a surprising turn of events, Prigozhin later opted to avoid further conflict and called off the uprising, citing the need to “avoid bloodshed”. Prior to this de-escalation, he claimed, via an audio tape, that his troops were advancing towards Moscow on Saturday.
From friend to foe: Mercenary leader Prigozhin challenges Russian military’s authority
Russian billionaire and convicted felon Yevgeny Prigozhin, 62, is known as “Putin’s chef” because to his enterprises’ contracts with the Kremlin and their lengthy ties to the president. Since the fatalities of Wagner recruits have increased in Russia- Ukraine war, Prigozhin, who was once regarded one of Putin’s closest associates, has been increasingly bitter toward the Russian president’s military command.
The unexpected turn of events started when Prigozhin publicly charged Russian forces with storming a Wagner camp and murdering a “huge amount” of his soldiers. He implied that his soldiers would “destroy” any opposition, including barricades and aircraft, in his threat to retaliate violently.
Prigozhin has been at odds with the military’s upper echelons for a long time now. He holds them responsible for the deaths of his soldiers in eastern Ukraine. He has accused them of not providing enough supplies to his private army, of slowing things down with bureaucracy, and of taking credit for Wagner’s triumphs without giving him any credit.
On Friday, Prigozhin appeared enraged as he accused Moscow’s military leadership of ordering attacks on Wagner’s camps and killing a significant number of forces. He demanded that they be stopped at all costs, even threatening to “go to the end.” The crisis escalated when Prigozhin announced that his forces had entered the Russian region of Rostov and occupied critical military installations in its capital. Several hours later, the leader of the mercenary group claimed to have the southern Russian military installations in Rostov-on-Don “under control.” This city, Rostov-on-Don, is home to approximately one million people and is the headquarters for Russia’s southern military command.
How did Russia react?
The Russian Ministry of Defence denied attacking Wagner’s troops, and the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs opened a criminal investigation against Prigozhin. Putin’s subsequent address to the nation illustrated the severity of the crisis he now faces.
“Those who carry deliberately on a path of treason, preparing an armed rebellion when you were preparing terrorist attacks, will be punished,” Putin said. “We are dealing with the ultimate betrayal. Treason was the result of Prigozhin’s extravagant desires along with his private interests,” he claimed, referring to the man who was once known as “Putin’s chef” for his role in feeding the Kremlin with food.
He said “any internal turmoil is a deadly threat to our statehood for us as a nation; it is a blow to Russia for our people and our actions to protect our homeland. Such a threat will face a severe response.”
But Prigozhin responded, saying on Telegram that the president is “deeply mistaken.” He said his fighters are “patriots of our Motherland” and promised: “No one is going to turn themselves in at the request of the president, the FSB or anyone else.” That marked a more direct threat to Putin than Prigozhin had typically deployed in the past.
Russia’s Defence Ministry earlier denied attacking Wagner’s troops, calling the claim “informational propaganda.” And the Federal Security Service (FSB), Russia’s internal security force, also opened a criminal case against Prighozhin, accusing him of calling for “an armed rebellion.”
“Prigozhin’s statements and actions are in fact calls for the start of an armed civil conflict on the territory of the Russian Federation and are a stab in the back of Russian servicemen fighting pro-fascist Ukrainian forces,” an FSB statement said, calling for Wagner fighters to detain their leader.
Was Prigozhin’s movement a coup?
There has been no open attempt to overthrow the administration, thus this is not a coup. Even though Prigozhin claims to have widespread support in the armed services, his “private military company” does not represent the military either. However, the president’s authority is being challenged since there is an attempt to oust the top brass in Russia. Even though Russia’s Putin first gave Prigozhin permission to build up his rival force, he is now obviously powerless to stop Prigozhin. The Russian government is treating this matter very seriously. Major events in the Moscow area have been postponed and the entire region is on high alert as a “counter-terrorist operation regime” is in effect. The Voronezh area, located on Ukraine’s north-eastern border, has implemented similar safeguards.
“There are 25,000 of us,” Prigozhin said. “Join us, anyone who wants to.” That doesn’t pose an immediate danger to the president, but it does to the military’s top brass.
As he moved his forces across the border into Rostov, where the military headquarters is located, video footage showed his men in the city’s central district evidently encountering little opposition. He asserts that he has not compromised Russia and that it is “extremely incorrect” for him to publicly criticize the president.
Prigozhin was adamant that he did not oppose Russia’s war in Ukraine, only the “clowns” in command of it. Even though he threatened to travel to Moscow if his military demands were not met, he maintained he did not contest the president’s leadership.
Vladimir Putin appeared for several hours to have lost control of a rapidly-changing situation. Later, Prigozhin agreed to depart Russia on Saturday for neighbouring Belarus, a deal reportedly brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. The charges against him will be dismissed, according to the spokesperson. Wagner fighters will not be prosecuted for their participation in the uprising, but will instead sign contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defence – a move Prigozhin had previously rejected as an effort to bring his paramilitary force into line.
Effect on war and Putin’s regime
Since Putin’s ascension to power in late 1999, this rebellion represents Russia’s gravest security crisis. It would divert attention and resources away from the battlefields in Ukraine, at a moment when Kyiv is attempting to recapture territory. The Ukrainian military has stated that it is “watching” the conflict between Prigozhin and Putin.
In the meantime, Moscow has warned that the Ukrainian army is concentrating its personnel near Bakhmut for “offensive actions.” The significance of the insurrection was not lost on world leaders, with the leaders of the United States, France, and Germany stating that they are closely monitoring the situation. Matthew Sussex, an Australian academic, argued that the feud has caused significant political harm to Putin’s regime. This is bad news for the war effort, which has heavily relied on propaganda to garner support for the invasion.
According to a number of experts, although the Russian president survived the standoff, he now appears weak not only to the world and his adversaries, but also to his own people and military. This could pose a danger if sceptics or rivals in Moscow see an opportunity to undermine Putin’s position.
In addition, Prigozhin obtains significant public support in Russia, and this is the case even if it does not materialize. It is also a significant turning point for Vladimir Putin’s leadership and an essential reminder for the Russian people. It is far too early to speculate on future outcomes.
In conclusion, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s staged insurrection in Russia raised concerns about Putin’s control. This challenge to Putin’s authority represents a significant political setback to his regime, which could weaken his domestic and international standing. While global leaders closely monitor the situation, the incident diverts attention and resources away from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Uncertain are the effects of this event on Putin’s leadership and the future of Russia.
