The conflict between the Wagner mercenary group and the Russian army degenerates into an open confrontation. Wagner boss Prigozhin threatens Defense Minister Shoigu – and is now being prosecuted.
In a dramatic escalation of the conflict between the Russian military and the Wagner private army, investigations into an attempted armed uprising have been initiated against the mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, the 61-year-old faces between 12 and 20 years in prison. Prigozhin last night accused the military leadership of attacking a camp owned by his mercenary forces, killing many of his men. He threatened countermeasures.
Prigozhin does not want to give up the fight
Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had the Wagner camps in the rear attacked with artillery, helicopters and rockets, Prigozhin said in a voice message distributed by his press service on Telegram. He has 25,000 men under his command, who would now explain why such arbitrariness prevails in the country. “Whoever tries to resist us will be seen as a threat and killed immediately,” Prigozhin threatened. According to him, the Wagner mercenaries have already started marching towards Rostov-on-Don. But that is not the end. They would also march further than Rostov.
The headquarters of the Russian army for the south of the country is located in the city with a population of more than one million, located near the Ukrainian border. According to reporters from Russian news agencies, there were isolated roadblocks in the city. In another audio message, Prigozhin claimed that his men shot down a military helicopter that was firing at a civilian convoy. There was no independent confirmation of this. He again warned that the Wagner mercenaries would take anyone who opposed them as a threat. “We have one goal, we are all ready to die,” he said.
“Cowardly as a Woman”
Videos were also shared on social media in the early morning, which are said to show how Wagner fighters are supposed to surround the military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don and point heavy military equipment at it. This has not yet been independently confirmed.
According to Prigozhin, Shoigu had come to Rostov specifically to direct the operation against Wagner. “At 9:00 p.m. he fled – cowardly as a woman – not to explain why he had helicopters taken off and rocket attacks carried out to kill our boys. This beast will be stopped,” said Prigozhin. He spoke of a “large number” of dead, but did not give an exact number of the mercenaries allegedly killed in the attack.
The Rostov governor called on residents to stay at home. “The current situation requires the maximum concentration of all forces to maintain order,” Vasily Golubev wrote on Telegram. Law enforcement agencies are doing whatever is necessary to ensure the safety of residents in the region. “I ask everyone to remain calm and not leave the house unless necessary.”
Investigation into attempted armed insurrection
The Ministry of Defense immediately rejected the allegations. All allegations are false and a “provocation,” according to a statement released by the ministry in the evening.
Only a short time later, the National Anti-Terrorism Committee announced that the Russian secret service FSB was investigating against Prigozhin because of an attempted armed uprising. Prigozhin called for a fight against Moscow’s military leadership, according to the committee, which includes practically all other Russian security organs in addition to the FSB. The FSB then called on the Wagner troops to disobey Prigozhin’s “criminal” and “treacherous” orders and to take steps to arrest him.
In Washington, the US government kept an eye on what was happening, according to CNN: “We are monitoring the situation and will consult with allies and partners about these developments,” said National Security Council spokesman Adam Hodge. President Joe Biden was briefed on the situation.
Armored personnel carriers in front of the Duma in Moscow
Russian state television broadcast a special news program that night, reporting that Prigozhin had fallen from grace and was to be arrested. The talk on the show was about a “provocation” by Prigozhin for the benefit of Ukraine. The media in Ukraine widely reported on the power struggle in Moscow.
According to state media, all important objects in the Russian capital were under special control. Videos had previously appeared online showing an infantry fighting vehicle and an armored military truck driving in front of the Russian parliament, the State Duma.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin also put “anti-terrorist measures” into effect. For example, increased traffic controls have already been introduced on the streets, he wrote on his Telegram channel. In addition, restrictions on mass events are possible. “As a result of the incoming information, anti-terrorist measures are being taken in Moscow to strengthen security measures,” wrote Sobyanin. He asked the more than 13 million inhabitants of the metropolis for their understanding.
The governor of the region around Moscow, Andrei Vorobyov, also wrote on Telegram about increased security measures. Vorobyov also called on people, if possible, to avoid private car trips in the direction of southern Russia, where the situation is currently particularly tense.
The Wagner boss, who is actually considered untouchable and is a confidant of Putin, had repeatedly criticized the Russian military leadership for the defeats in the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. He has also long advocated a new military leadership. Independent commentators said the criminal case would mean the end of Prigozhin and his Wagner troupe in Russia.
Army General Surovikin on side of the Kremlin
In the course of the confrontation, the important Russian army general Sergey Surovikin sided with the power apparatus in Moscow. Surovikin, who is deputy chief of the Russian General Staff, called on Prigozhin in a video message to end the power struggle. “The enemy is just waiting for our domestic political situation to deteriorate,” said Surovikin in a video message.
Surovikin is actually considered an ally of Prigozhin, but apparently decided to remain loyal to the Kremlin. He now called for submission to the “will and command of the President of the Russian Federation, elected by the whole people”.
According to reports, the security organs have also been put on alert in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which are partially annexed by Russia. There are many Wagner fighters there. From the start of the war against Ukraine, Moscow has also relied in part on Wagner’s private army. For example, the mercenaries played an important role in the battle for the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. After the conquest, Prigozhin withdrew his troops from the front to the rear.
Complaint about lack of ammunition at the front
Already during the battle for Bakhmut, Prigozhin complained about sabotage by the regular troops. The accusation was that his units were not supplied with sufficient ammunition.
Most recently, Prigozhin had been criticizing the military leadership on a daily basis. Yesterday, a few hours before the alleged attack on the Wagner camps in the hinterland, he had dismissed the Kremlin’s official justification for the war in Ukraine.
Contrary to Russian propaganda claims, before the war began in February 2022, Russia was not at all threatened by Ukraine, he said in a video. The alleged “insane aggression” on the part of Kiev and NATO never happened. In addition, Russian and pro-Russian oligarchs hoped for benefits from the war, said Prigozhin.