Russian commander on attempted coup Prigozhin: “Divided society” Horrific accident: airport workers sucked in and killed by the engine

Alexander Khodakowski is a veteran of the Ukrainian war. The 50-year-old was one of the pro-Russian forces that invaded the Donbass in 2014, starting the invasion of Ukraine. In the People’s Republic (VD) of Donetsk, which is not recognized under international law, he was briefly Minister of State Security and Secretary of the Security Council. Khodakowski also leads the “Vostok” battalion and is considered a staunch ally of the Kremlin.

Following oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin’s alleged coup attempt against the Kremlin on Saturday night, Khodakowski drew attention with a post. “Our country will never be the same again,” he wrote in a message posted on his Telegram channel on Sunday.

The article provides insight into the state of mind of Russia’s armed forces, which appear to be more divided than ever since Russia’s authoritarian ruler Vladimir Putin invaded the neighboring country. “We are already going through a difficult time, but yesterday everything was hanging by a thread. Those who understand what was at stake, how close we came to destruction, will never understand those who applauded the Wagner troops as they tried to challenge the authorities in this country.”

At the start of the war last year, Chodakowski drew attention with an interview in which he thought the escalation was unjustified (which he later denied). Now, with his post, he would have the back of Commander-in-Chief Putin. And at the same time shows how weakened the Kremlin despot already is.

Khodakowski explicitly turns against the leader of Saturday’s uprising, Prigozhin, because his “March on Moscow” endangered Russian troops at the front in Ukraine, as the “Vostok” commander explains. “We prayed to God that the enemy would not take advantage of the situation and use all the resources at its disposal in battle, for then we would be lost.”

Also within the Wagner group there would have been great dissatisfaction with the head of the organization. According to several military experts, Prigozhin left most of his men in the dark about the uprising. In addition, many would not have approved the shooting down of helicopters by the regular Russian army. Part of the Wagner mercenaries therefore left the organization.

At the same time, Khodakowski’s contribution also testifies to the extent to which Putin’s control over the various factions within the Russian military appears to be diminishing. “Those who defended the front at the risk of their lives were stabbed in the back,” he writes. This could also happen because Putin favored his friend Prigozhin and made him increasingly popular among the population despite the most violent attacks on the Russian military leadership.

Since Saturday, however, it is no longer just Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu who is weakened. It is now the Supreme Commander himself who seems out of control of the situation and is clearly losing control of the diverging interests of the Russian power elite, the military, oligarchs and politicians.

According to Khodakowski’s ominous post, Vladimir Putin’s rule is shaky.

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(t-online, cc)