Prigozhin-Kremlin Conflict : In Russia, the world’s largest country, the private army Wagner has rebelled against President Vladimir Putin. Chief of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, along with his 25,000 fighters, left for Moscow, the capital of Russia, on Saturday, 24 June. Prigozhin announced that he would go to Moscow and his revolution would give the country a new president. This attempt of Prigozhin was like a coup in Russia, due to which there was a stir in the corridors of power. However, Prigozhin has now stopped his troops from moving towards Moscow. And, leaving Russia himself, has left for Belarus. At the same time, the whole world is keeping an eye on the rapidly changing developments in Russia.
According to the Moscow Times, Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was once Putin’s most trusted confidant, but what he did yesterday put Russia at risk of civil war and a coup. It is learned that Prigozhin was at loggerheads with President Putin and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu over the issue of occupation of territories won in the Ukraine war. Prigozhin wants to take possession of a large part of the conquered territories in Ukraine. On Putin’s refusal, he got angry and rebelled. However, Yevgeny Prigozhin alone is not responsible for such worrisome situation in Russia, there are some other faces as well, due to which this crisis has arisen in front of Putin.
1. Yevgeny Prigozhin
Yevgeny Prigozhin is the head of the Wagner Group, a pro-Putin private military group formed a decade ago to help Russia in eastern Ukraine, known as Russia’s Private Army. Yevgeny Prigozhin, chief of the independent paramilitary Wagner Group, was previously considered one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest confidantes. The Wagner group has played a key role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, especially in and around Bakhmut, not to mention the conflicts in Syria and the African continent in recent years. But the close relationship between Prigozhin and the Kremlin leadership has suffered in recent months. Wagner’s chief has long been in favor of installing a new Russian military leadership, which he has repeatedly criticized for the defeat in Ukraine.
Prigozhin accused the Russian military leadership, particularly his adversary, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, of lying to the Russian people in February 2022 about the true causes of the war. On the other hand, on Saturday, June 24, Putin, in his televised address to the nation, described Wagner’s soldiers as “traitors”. And, said – he will be punished for rebelling against the Kremlin.” However, after a deal was struck late on Saturday, proceedings against Prigozhin were halted by Russia’s domestic intelligence agency FSB, provided Prigozhin left Russia. Move to Belarus. According to the terms of the deal, Wagner’s soldiers will also not face action from the Russian government.
2. Sergei Shoigu
Russia’s Defense Minister since 2012, Sergei Shoigu has been one of the main perpetrators of military aggression against Ukraine since 2014 and, to an even greater extent, since the start of the all-out war on February 24, 2022. Shoigu has been accused of several war crimes. is the allegation. He is one of Putin’s most special people. He could count the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and Russian involvement in Syria as successes, but his reputation has taken a nosedive since the war against Ukraine began. Putin hoped that the attack on Ukraine would be very different, but he has not been able to capture the capital of Ukraine yet. The onus is on Sergei Shoigu.
Shoigu’s relations with Prigozhin are very tense these days. Wagner’s chief has repeatedly accused the Defense Ministry of failing to deliver ammunition. Prigozhin has also said that Shoigu is trying to achieve personal goals and rewards, such as the title of Hero, by deceiving Putin about the situation in Ukraine. These allegations came to a head recently when Prigozhin said that Shoigu lied to the Russian people about the real reason for the invasion.
3. Valery Gerasimov
Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, took command of troops in Ukraine in January 2023, succeeding Sergei Surovikin. He is also considered responsible for Russia’s military operation in Syria. Since taking up his position in 2012 after Shoigu was made Defense Minister, he has been considered a Shoigu confidant.
Wagner’s chief of staff, Prigozhin, is angry at both Shoigu and Gerasimov, whom he accuses of incompetence and holds primarily responsible for heavy losses during the invasion of Ukraine. On Saturday, after claiming to have seized military facilities in the southern Russian city of Voronezh, Prigozhin even announced a march on Moscow.
4. Sergey Surovikin
Until now, Sergei Surovikin, deputy chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, was considered an ally of Prigozhin. The general commanded Russian forces in Ukraine from October 2022 to January 2023, before being replaced by Valery Gerasimov before he completed his term. As Russia’s conflict with Ukraine drags on, he apparently turned his back on the Wagner Group chief and called on Prigozhin in a video message on Friday evening to end the power struggle. “The enemies are just waiting for our domestic political situation to worsen,” Surovikin called for submission to Putin’s orders.
Read also: America already knew about Wagner’s rebellion in Russia, secret deal with Yevney Prigozhin?
