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Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin (62) and his mercenaries managed to unleash chaos in Russia on Saturday. In less than 24 hours, Prigozhin’s followers reached the outskirts of Moscow. They had previously captured a Russian army headquarters in Rostov-on-Don. But then it was over, the Wagner fighters retreated. A deal by the Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko (68) prevented the storming of Moscow and great bloodshed.
The chaos would likely have been even greater if Ukraine, which has repeatedly held Russia responsible for various acts of sabotage in the past, had also joined the fray. It turns out that Ukraine’s Western allies have contacted Ukrainian officials at various levels, warning them not to use the confusion to launch an attack in Russia. An anonymous Western official told CNN.
Drone attack on the Kremlin
The West feared that Ukraine and the West would aid Prigozhin and threaten Russian sovereignty. “The message was that you shouldn’t get angry here,” said the anonymous official. He added that the message was conveyed at the level of foreign ministers, state secretaries and ambassadors.
“It’s an internal matter,” was the tenor of the report on Prigozhin’s uprising. “Seize opportunities on Ukrainian territory, but do not interfere in internal affairs and do not attack military installations in Russia,” Western officials told the Ukrainians. An attack by Ukraine during the uprising would have played into the hands of the Russians. “It’s what the Russians have always wanted, which is to prove that there are threats to Russian sovereignty,” the source said.
The country invaded by Russia has been suspected for months of carrying out more and more covert attacks and acts of sabotage on Russian facilities. Ukraine is also said to have been involved in the drone attack on the Kremlin in early May. Recently Ukrainian troops are said to have shelled the Russian region of Belgorod near the border between the two countries.
Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin (70) has now made an offer to the Wagner mercenaries. They could sign a contract with the regular Russian army and “return to their families” or “go to Belarus.” (nad)
Source: Blick
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.
