Investigations are ongoing – After the coup attempt: Prigozhin cannot be found

Shoigu visited troops involved in the invasion of Ukraine on Monday (see video below), Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported. There he listened to the report of Colonel General Yevgeny Nikiforov and held a meeting with commanders. It is Schoigu’s first public appearance since the aborted uprising of the Russian mercenary group Wagner last weekend. However, it is unclear whether the recordings are really up to date.

Prigozhin probably would have cracked his collar again with this photo. Because he blames Schoigu for the grievances at the front. Time and time again he vented his anger, describing the defense minister as a “smelly creature” and “scum” who wouldn’t give them the ammunition, among other things. He would “eat his damn guts in hell” for it, scolded the Wagner boss. Where in the past it was assumed that the tantrums were propaganda and empty threats, the seriousness of the situation became clear on Saturday. Prigozhin was not bluffing.

Putin would have fled
Apparently, Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin has also resurfaced. Data from the Flightradar24 service shows that two aircraft of the special flight command “Rossiya”, deployed by Putin, arrived back in Moscow on Sunday evening.

The news portal “Vashnie Istorii” claims to have observed that Putin’s plane took off from the “Vnukovo” airport at 2:16 pm Moscow time on Saturday in the direction of the Russian city of Saint Petersburg. Not far from the Russian city of Tver, where Putin has a residence, the machine has disappeared from the radar. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denies that the ruler had left the capital. However, we know from the past that Putin is not one of the bravest and quickly crawls into his bunker.

Wed is Prigozhin?
So far there is no trace of the Wagner boss, reports the independent Russian-language television channel RTVI. According to the press service of the mercenary chief, he was last seen leaving the city of Rostov-on-Don (see video below). According to the Russian domestic secret service FSG, criminal investigations against Prigozhin are still ongoing.

“He greets everyone and is available for questions when he can be reached normally again,” says his news agency.

Historic “March of Justice”
On Friday night, the long-simmering power struggle between Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Russian military leadership escalated. Fighters of the Wagner Troupe invaded Russia from Ukraine with the aim of overthrowing the military leadership in Moscow.

After about 24 hours of rebellion, Prigozhin took a surprising turn on Saturday night and ordered his mercenaries to return to their camps. This was preceded by an agreement with the Russian leadership, mediated by Belarus. The Wagner fighters withdrew from Rostov and continued their withdrawal on Sunday.

Schallenberg: ‘Putin should take Prigozhin as a role model and turn it around’
Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) also said on Monday that he had no concrete information about Prigozhin’s whereabouts. It doesn’t matter if he disappears from the scene. Putin should take Prigozhin as an example and reverse it,” Schallenberg said.

“People watched in disbelief as a megalomaniac mercenary leader moved his troops and got within 200 km of Moscow,” Schallenberg said, commenting on Prigozhin’s uprising last weekend. That Putin could unleash a brutal offensive war in the neighborhood and that it would have no effect on his country has proven to be an illusion.

His goal is to support Ukraine. “Russia is one of the largest nuclear powers in the world, we cannot remain indifferent to what is happening there. I don’t want Putin to get away with it. But any weakening of Putin is also a threat. He has himself to thank for it: he could end the war tomorrow,” the Austrian chief diplomat emphasized. For him, the united, level-headed response of the West to last weekend’s mercenary uprising is essential.

“We must do what we have been doing for the past 16 months: support Ukraine in its struggle for independence, and we will continue to do so,” the Kiev government advised. Ministers are likely to decide to increase the joint military aid fund for Ukraine by EUR 3.5 billion.