British military expert Lawrence Freedman sees no coup or insurrection in the advance of the Wagner mercenaries on Moscow, which was called off on Saturday night. “It really is a mutiny,” the former military studies professor at King’s College London wrote on his blog Saturday.
Indeed, Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin’s “sole purpose” was to get rid of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov, who is also Russia’s commander-in-chief in the war against Ukraine, “and the ‘meat grinders’ they followed in the war strategies,” says Freedman.
“More discipline and panache than other Russian troops”
For Prigozhin, “everything depends on whether his accusations are heard by the other soldiers and whether he can persuade them to join him or at least refuse to fight against his men,” said the military historian and political scientist. “On the whole Wagner showed more discipline and panache than many other Russian troops, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they got the upper hand in a fight.”
At the same time, the military expert rejects interpretations of the events as a planned coup to overthrow the Russian state leadership. That was clearly not the aim of the Wagner leader. Admittedly, after the speech of Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, in which he spoke – without naming him – of “betrayal” and a “(stab) in the back”, Prigozhin is “in direct confrontation with the Russian presidents . One of them will be the loser.”
“Prigozhin commands a considerable number of men”
Over the course of the war in Ukraine, Prigozhin gained increasing presence and fame among the Russian public and is apparently also interested in a political career. “Most importantly, he commands a significant number of men – reportedly as many as 25,000 – involved in his current maneuvers.”
According to the military historian, the advance of the Wagner mercenaries on Moscow will be a severe blow to the Russian regime, regardless of the outcome. “The problem for autocrats like Putin is that they don’t really know what’s going on among their people, and that just adds to the panic,” he said.
Wagner boss Prigoshin ordered his troops to return to their bases shortly before Moscow on Saturday night. He wanted to avoid bloodshed, according to an audio message from him on Saturday. However, the advance of his mercenaries had sparked violent unrest in Russia, Putin even warned of civil war and spoke of “betrayal”.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
