2023-07-02 02:19:47
Seven days have been enough for the all-powerful Wagner group to go from glory for their exploits in the Ukraine to ostracism. A week in which Russia has faced the threat of a civil confrontation caused by the uprising of the jewel in its military crown. In this short period of time, the world has begun to realize that the solid regime of Vladimir Putin was supported by poorly tied scaffolding. The week of passion in Russia has turned out to be the culmination of a series of hidden conflicts that not even the president himself saw coming.
The beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine launched the Wagner group, about which little was known before 2022, to stardom. A military formation made up of mercenaries that was already being talked about in 2014, when they came to the aid of the separatist forces of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics. At the same time, they have operated in places as different as Syria, the Central African Republic, Mali or Libya, where they have militarily supported governments with which Moscow maintains a good relationship. Yevgeni Prigozhin, a billionaire and close friend of President Putin, admitted having founded it in September 2022. Prigozhin already enjoyed some popularity in Russia for some of his eccentricities, such as creating a “troll farm” in Saint Petersburg, in charge of multiplying the presence in networks of false profiles that supported the Russian government. He has also been accused of creating false news and destabilizing various electoral processes, including the United States presidential elections, a fact that has already cost him the first sanctions.
Wagner’s popularity and Prigozhin’s prominence have been increasing throughout the military campaign in Ukraine. His presence in the bloodiest battles and the taking of Bakhmut made headlines while Prigozhin took virtual mass baths on social networks. That position has generated the suspicion of the Russian Army and its commanders, who looked from the rear at Wagner’s successes, beginning with the Minister of Defense, Sergei Shoigu, who in a year and a half became a real nightmare for Prigozhin. The lack of logistical support and ammunition led the millionaire to air criticism of him on the networks, becoming the only Russian citizen with a license to dispatch at ease. The tone of his criticism increased until it created a current of opinion that pointed directly to the minister and the head of the army in Ukraine, Valeri Gerasimov, for having irresponsibly and unprofessionally planned the Ukrainian campaign and, above all, for lying to the public. President Putin about some theoretical advances that were not taking place on the ground.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, right, sits inside a military vehicle posing for a selfie photo with a local civilian on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023, prior to leaving an area of the headquarters of the Southern Military District. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops.Ap
Friday, June 23. Prigozhin publishes a video in which he confesses that the Kremlin could have avoided going to war by forcing the President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelenski, to sign an agreement and thus avoid “a disaster for Russia”, which has sacrificed tens of thousands of young lives compatriots. The main target is none other than the Russian Defense Minister. The relationship between the two seems broken after the Ministry’s proposal to integrate Wagner’s men into the Army and their refusal to leave the group.
In the afternoon, Prigozhin announces on his Telegram profile that “a large number” of Wagner fighters have been killed by an attack by the Russian Army. The Ministry of Defense categorically denies the accusations and the programming on various Russian television channels is interrupted to issue an urgent news bulletin in which what happened is denied. Prigozhin affirms that he is going to put order in the situation that the country is going through, declaring that his 25,000 men “are going to look for an answer to the chaos in the country” by marching towards Moscow but that their actions “are not a coup d’état”.
Saturday, June 24. Wagner’s men have taken the Russian city of Rostov and are reaching Lipetsk. The authorities of both towns urge the population to stay at home. Putin himself points out that the situation in Rostov is “difficult”. Prigozhin’s mercenaries advance towards Voronezh while the Army confronts them. Several dead, including the pilot of a Russian military plane that is shot down. The authorities reinforce security measures in Moscow, where an “anti-terrorist operation regime” is established. Prigozhin, publishes an audio warning that his forces will go “to the end” and will “destroy everything that stands” in their way. On Saturday night, the President of Belarus, Aleksander Lukashenko announces that he has reached an agreement with Prigozhin. That morning members of Wagner begin to withdraw. It is reported that the oligarch will be welcomed in Belarus.
Sunday, June 25. No trace of Wagner’s uprising remains, except for some potholes and a stuck tank in Rostov.
Monday, June 26. Putin’s speech on television. Five minutes is enough for him to forgive the rebellious mercenaries, dumping all the blame on Prigozhin. That same morning he confesses that the country has been on the brink of civil war and admits spending 86.262 million rubles. [casi 1.000 millones de euros], assumed by the State between May 2022 and May 2023 to cover Wagner’s expenses. Most of the group’s equipment will pass into the hands of its presidential guard.
Wednesday, June 28. General Sergei Surovikin, better known as “The Syrian Butcher”, is arrested for his relationship with the Wagner uprising. His whereabouts are unknown and whether there have been more arrests related to the act of insurgency. The Kremlin remains silent.
#Wagners #men #put #Putin #check