As Russia’s offensive against Ukraine continues, there has been a twist in the tale, as the Wagner Mercenary Group — often referred to as President Vladimir Putin’s private army — has entered Russia claiming to remove the country’s top military leadership.
The head of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin on Saturday announced that they have seized all the military facilities in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don.
The Wagner chief claimed his forces have taken over the military headquarters in the city, which oversees the fighting in Ukraine. Prigozhin has said that this not a military coup but a “march for justice,” BBC reported
President Putin has reacted in anger, calling the so-called rebellion as a “stab in the back of the country and its people.”
In a television address to the nation, Putin said, “All those who were a par of the rebellion will suffer inevitable punishment, and that the Russian armed forces have gotten necessary orders to deal with this,” according to Aljazeera.
War of words between Wagner Group and Russian Military
The rebellion comes after months of tussle between the private group and the Russian military.
For the last few months, Prigozhin has accused Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Russia’s top general, Valery Gerasimov of “incompetence,” BBC said.
In fact, he questioned the official version of the country’s justification of invading Ukraine and has completely rejected why they did it.
This comes at the helm of a power struggle between Prigozhin and the top military brass. The Wagner chief also blamed them for the death of his troops in eastern Ukraine, according to AFP.
Apart from this, their Wagner group has blamed Moscow for failing to equip his private army and of taking away their victories and claiming them as their own.
What triggered the current rebellion?
Cut to Friday, when the chief alleged that Kremlin’s leadership has ordered strikes on Wagner camps which resulted in the death of large number of Wagner forces
Prigozhin posted a series of very angry videos in which he accused Russia’s military leaders of ordering rocket attacks on Wagner camps stationed in Ukraine.
What is Russia saying about this?
Russian forces started by denying allegations of Wagner camp attacks put forth by Prigozhin. Russian Defence Ministry denied carrying out an rocket attack.
Russia’s National Antiterrorism Committee have also opened a criminal investigation against the Wagner chief and called termed the rebellion led by him as a “mutiny.”
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has labelled this an “armed conflict with Russia and have given orders to arrest Prigozhin, according to BBC.
Apart from this, Russia’s National Guard has been summouned to tighten security at various important places in Moscow, according to state’s TASS news agency.
Who are the Wagner Mercenary group
Wagner Group — officially called PMC Wagner — is a private army that has been fighting along with regular Russian troops in Ukraine. They first came into prominence in 2014.
Wagner’s men have been active in Ukraine, Syria, Libya, the Central African Republic and Mali in recent years. Some report says that there are around 5,000 mercenaries in the group operating across the world.
Interestingly, mercenary forces are illegal in Russia, however the Wagner group is a registered organisation and its headquarters are in St Petersburg, BBC reported.
Their Role in Ukraine
Critics see it as a shadow force controlled by Russian President Vladimir Putin, used to promote Russian interests abroad by providing front-line fighters, trainers and advisors.
The group’s founder Yevgeny Prigozhin has taken an increasingly prominent role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — leading some to question if he might harbour personal political ambitions.
According to the UK Ministry of Defence, the Wagner group has grown considerably and were now commanding 50,000 fighters in Ukraine, becoming a key component of the campaign here.
Since the Wagner troops played a key role in Putin’s offensive in Ukraine, this could mark as one of the most serious challenge to Putin in the region.
This rebellion could divert resources from Ukraine battlefields and put extra pressure on Moscow back home.
And this would come at a crucial time for Russian when they are in the middle of their counteroffensive in Ukraine. Not to forget the pressure from the world, which has been against Russian after its Ukraine invasion.
This gives extra strength to Ukraine, and the Ukraine’s army has said it was “watching” the infighting between Prigozhin and Putin.
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