MOSCOW, Russia – In an unexpected twist of events, late Friday, June 23, 2023, Russian generals accused Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, a contentious mercenary tycoon, of orchestrating a coup against President Vladimir Putin.
This significantly escalates the longstanding feud between Prigozhin and the Russian military, turning a cold war hot.
While no physical altercations were reported on Russian streets, widespread circulation of videos on social media platforms demonstrated the mobilisation of military and national guard armored vehicles in Moscow and the southern city of Rostov-on-Don.
This city lies in proximity to Ukraine’s front line, where Prigozhin’s mercenaries are known to operate.
Russia’s domestic intelligence agency, the F.S.B., confirmed it had initiated an investigation into Prigozhin on the grounds of organizing an “armed rebellion.”
General Vladimir Alekseyev, the deputy head of Russia’s military intelligence agency, publicly consented Prigozhin’s soldiers to stand down. “This is a stab in the back of the country and the president,” he lamented, “this is a coup.”
Prigozhin’s Wagner mercenary force has been instrumental in Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.
Recently, however, he has been vocally critical of Russia’s top military brass, alleging corruption and indifference towards ordinary soldiers’ lives.
On Friday night, Prigozhin retaliated by urging action against the Russian Defense Ministry following allegations of military attacks on his forces.
“The evil carried by the country’s military leadership must be stopped,” said Prigozhin on Telegram.
A threat to the Defense Ministry closely followed this bold statement: “There’s 25,000 of us, and we are going to figure out why chaos is happening in the country.”
Around midnight Moscow time, Russia’s prosecutor general announced an investigation into Prigozhin on suspicion of organizing an armed rebellion. If found guilty, Prigozhin faces up to 20 years imprisonment.
Though the outspoken mercenary tycoon had a swift rise to international notoriety, leveraging his connections with Putin into lucrative government contracts, his current whereabouts remain unknown. His social media presence mysteriously went silent past midnight.
The escalating feud between Prigozhin and top military leaders, along with his startling claims of a military assault on his mercenary camps, have shaken Russia’s military leadership and ignited fear among Russian pro-war activists.
There’s an underlying worry that open conflict between the army and the Wagner forces could imperil Russian front lines during the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
Despite his harsh criticism and dramatic escalation in tensions, Prigozhin has not directly implicated Putin.
However, his statements directly contradict the Kremlin’s narrative, marking a rare instance of a high-profile figure within Russia’s security establishment publicly challenging the wisdom of the war.
The complexity of Prigozhin’s role in Putin’s system further deepens the enigma. As the situation continues to unfold, his forces remain key to Russia’s war efforts.
Whether his recent provocations are a genuine rebellion or a calculated maneuver orchestrated by the Kremlin to deflect blame is yet to be seen.
In his most audacious attack yet, Prigozhin dismissed the entire official rhetoric surrounding the invasion as a sham. “Our holy war with those who offend the Russian people, with those who are trying to humiliate them, has turned into a racket,” he stated.
The ramifications of Prigozhin’s accusations remain uncertain. While some pro-war commentators have branded him a traitor, others see his revelations as evidence of internal divisions in Russia’s war effort.
Kremlin’s spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, mentioned that Putin is “aware of all events around Prigozhin.”
The situation continues to evolve, with many eyes on what this internal conflict means for Russia’s political and military landscape.
