On Saturday, the conflict between Wagner’s mercenary army and regular Russian troops in Russia escalated. Experts suspect a simmering power struggle in the Kremlin’s military leadership behind what happened last weekend. Another theory surfaced Monday. What do we know Monday:
The silence of the men
Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin accompanied his “March for Justice” with constant communication. But since he left the southern Russian city of Rostov by car on Saturday evening, there has been radio silence. However, according to a Russian TV station, Wagner’s media office announced: “He sends his regards to everyone and will answer questions when he has normal reception again.”
There has also been no communication since then from Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu or Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov. In his speeches during the uprising, Prigozhin had called for the resignation of the two Kremlin leaders. It is unclear whether the two Saturday’s resignations were part of the deal.
On Monday morning, the Kremlin released a 47-second video claiming Shoigu is visiting Ukraine’s combat zone. The minister is said to have visited one of the forward command posts there. This could not be independently verified at first.
Since Saturday’s events, only Russian President Vladimir Putin himself has spoken publicly. He is in constant contact with the Ministry of Defense and is convinced that Russia can perform all tasks in Ukraine.
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A desperate attempt at contact?
It remains unclear why the Wagner troops moved towards Moscow on Saturday. On Monday, however, there were increasing signs that it was an act of desperation. The mercenary army is said to have been weakened by the war in Ukraine and instead of the specified 25,000, Prigozhin is said to have left for Moscow with only 8,000 ill-equipped soldiers.
German Russia expert Stefan Meister therefore assumes that the march was only intended to attract the attention of the Kremlin, as he explains to “Focus”:
Chinese international relations expert Wang Yiwei also blows the same trumpet: “Progishin has not staged a coup against the Russian government. He just wanted to express his displeasure with the Russian military leadership and achieve better treatment of the Wagner soldiers,” the professor told the Global Times.
Everything staged?
Now another theory is emerging about what is happening in Russia: it is all a bluff to station the Wagner troops in Belarus from there to attack Ukraine and the West again. The German ex-general Roland Kather, for example, warned about this in an interview with the “Welt am Sonntag”. British ex-general Richard Dannat outlined a similar scenario.
According to Russia expert Meister, there are even several inconsistencies:
But Meister also considers a joint staging by Prigozhin and Putin unlikely. The “Institute for the Study of War” (ISW) even finds the theory absurd. A clandestine troop movement would never materialize in such a spotlight.
Western reverie
In the West, on the other hand, it is now agreed that Prigozhin’s activities could particularly harm the Russian president. According to the consensus, the weakness of the Russian regime came to light on Saturday.
Several Chinese experts disagree, writes the Global Times. The uprising ended within hours and is therefore more a sign of Putin’s strength. He was also rid of his harshest critic with Saturday’s events.
Russian threats
According to the British secret service, the Russian secret service was also involved in stopping the Wagnermars. Shortly before the retreat, several families were directly threatened by Wagner soldiers. This and the poor equipment of the Wagner troops made Prigozhin return, writes the British Telegraph.
The war in Ukraine continues
Hopes that internal conflict in Russia would end the war in Ukraine were dashed this weekend. As the ISW wrote on Sunday night, the dispute had little impact on the war in Ukraine.
Both Ukraine and Russia confirmed that fighting continues. Russian military operations even increased around Bakhmut. So far no clear Ukrainian successes could be established, but Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov stated in an interview that the counter-offensive had not really started yet. (lion)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
