Thousands of mercenaries declared themselves in revolt against the Russian government last night after being accused of attacking one of their camps in Ukraine. The head of the Wagner group, Yevgueni Prigozhin, claims to control the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces in Rostov. Putin accuses him of “betraying Russia”.
The tension between Yevgeny Prigozhin and the leadership of the Russian military regarding the development of the war in Ukraine has exploded in recent hours with the entry of the head of the Wagner mercenary group into the Russian city of Rostovheadquarters of the southern military command, while Moscow a criminal case against him for inciting armed insurrection in what is the biggest internal crisis facing Vladimir Putin’s government since the invasion of Ukrainian territory began last February.
Events accelerated on Friday afternoon, when Prigozhin directly accused the Russian oligarchy and the defense ministry, more specifically the head of the portfolio and the man he considers his nemesis, Sergey Shoigu, to trick the president into invading Ukraine. Hours later, the organization denounced “a military-led missile strike” by the Russian military against its training camps. The Defense Ministry categorically rejected the accusation, describing it as “informational provocation”, and today called on the mutinous members to return to their barracks and gives security guarantees to those who do.
“You have been sucked into Prigozhin’s criminal adventure and participation in a armed insurrectionDefense points out in a statement published on Telegram.
According to the department led by Shoigu, many mercenaries have already realized their mistake and have asked for help to return to their regular locations. “This assistance from our side has been provided to all fighters and commanders who have requested it,” the ministry said.
Defense has called the mercenaries in revolt, 25,000according to Prigozhin, to exercise caution and contact their representatives or law enforcement agencies as soon as possible.
Prigozhin accuses Shoigu and the Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov 100,000 Russian soldiers “wiped out”. and to have created a “case” with his style of command in the Ukraine.
Likewise, he has denied an attempted coup, while the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office has opened proceedings for “organizing an armed uprising”, which could mean between 12 and 20 years in prison.
Sergei Surovikin, deputy commander of the Joint Troop Group in Ukraine and the only one who respects Prigozhin, as he has said publicly, also said last night that the Wagner group should stop the columns that They plan to move towards the capital and return to their permanent deployment points.
“Treason to Russia”
For his part, the Russian president Vladimir Putinhas described this Saturday as treason the rebellion of the mercenaries, and has affirmed that those responsible will pay for it. “Whoever organized and prepared the military uprising betrayed Russia and will answer for it,” he said in a speech to the nation broadcast on public television.
“Our actions to defend the fatherland against this threat will be very harsh and those responsible will be brought to justice,” said the Russian president, who nevertheless confirmed that the situation in Rostov is “difficult” and that his troops are now trying stabilize the situation.
Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
