Russian President Vladimir Putin has been fighting in Ukraine for nearly a year. What he probably imagined as a short military deployment turns out to be a tough, expensive and costly battle. This has not gone unnoticed by Russian army members either. Most of the time, however, they are hesitant to express their criticism publicly. The fear of retaliation from Putin is too great.
Anders Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the notorious mercenary group Wagner, also remained in the background for years. But now he is increasingly appearing as their leader, attributing military successes in Ukraine to his actions. With this he seems to have bought himself out of censorship, because he regularly dares to criticize Putin’s government directly.
Point of discussion: army rules
In telegram groups associated with the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin occasionally answers questions put to him.
For example, someone asked Wagner’s boss on Tuesday what he thought of the latest regulations of the Russian Ministry of Defense. Accordingly, the soldiers would have to shave their beards and do without their tablets and smartphones. Are there similar restrictions in the Wagner Group?
Prigozhin makes no secret of the fact that he does not attach much importance to these new regulations. Soldiers at the front washed bottles 80 percent of their time and said shaving was a luxury. In addition, much of his group wears a beard for religious reasons.
Tablets and smartphones are indispensable for modern warfare. They provided accurate geospatial data, including elevation changes and other “secrets of the terrain.” In addition, certain special units were able to transmit their data only thanks to these devices. Of course, the means of communication must be used wisely. Only “degenerates” would use WhatsApp, Viber or other hostile means of information transfer.
Lieutenant General Sobolev’s demands are as archaic as they were from the 1960s and testify to a lack of modern military training. That is one of the main reasons why the quality of the fighting suffers, Prigozhin openly criticizes.
Then it really starts:
Instead of the development of military equipment, there are only parades, shows, stupid obedience and cringing, he scolds. And:
At the end he hits more conciliatory notes again. Unlike the soldiers at the front, he has enough time to follow the instructions of the lieutenant general and therefore shaves almost every day.
Point of discussion: Youtube
The American Institute for War Studies (ISW) suspects that Prigozhin is trying to undermine confidence in the Ministry of Defense with his statements. At the same time, he tries to present himself as the face of the Russian “special operation” in Ukraine.
He also did not hold back with criticism on Wednesday. This time he attacked Putin’s presidential government directly, accusing officials who worked there of being traitors. The ISW considers this one of Prigozhin’s most daring attacks on the Kremlin.
His criticism revolved around the ongoing Russian debate over the YouTube ban. For Prigozhin, the case seems pretty clear: YouTube should be banned. Almost 40 percent of the content on the video platform is anti-Russian, he writes in a Telegram group. Those who reject the ban simply do not want to gamble away their relationship with the United States if Russia loses to Ukraine. These officials only hoped that the US would forgive them for all their sins after the war was lost. To him they are traitors, he rages:
He is convinced that YouTube will be permanently disabled in the near future. And anyone still actively using YouTube after the ban would be identified and given the punishment they deserved, he warns.
Point of discussion: Soledar
That a rift is slowly developing between the Wagner group and Putin was already clear when Soledar was taken. For example, on January 10, the Wagner group announced that they had taken the eastern Ukrainian city of Soledar without any help from Russian troops.
In contrast, the Russian Ministry of Defense did not report Soledar’s capture until three days later. And that without mentioning the Wagner group. The Wager Group did not accept that. They accused the Ministry of Defense of bragging about their achievements.
Prigozhin recruits prisoners here:
That same evening, the Ministry of Defense felt compelled to revise its statement: it was a heterogeneous group that was involved in the success in Soledar. You add:
It is highly unusual for Russia to praise the Wagner group on such high notes. Until recently, Putin wanted nothing to do with this group of mercenaries, at least not in public. But the Wagner group, unlike its own groups, seems to have had more success in the Ukraine. And that is exactly what puts Putin in an awkward position.
Prigozhin, on the other hand, has created a new space in which to express criticism without fear of reprisal.
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.
