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Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin (64) attacks Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin (70) in a telegram video on Russia’s “Victory Day” on Tuesday. Insufficient ammunition, poorly trained soldiers and an imminent withdrawal from Bakhmut – for 27 minutes he was furious about the situation in Ukraine.
“The fish stinks from the head,” he said. He also spoke of a “happy grandfather” who “thinks he’s doing a good job”. Then Prigozhin wondered what would become of Russia if this “grandfather” turned out to be a “complete bastard”. Even if the Wagner boss did not mention Putin, the assumption that he was intended is obvious.
In the video, Prigozhin also attacks the Russian Defense Ministry. “Our enemy today is not the armed forces of Ukraine, but a Russian bureaucrat.” That could mean Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (67).
“People draw their own conclusions”
On Wednesday, Prigozhin returned a little on Telegram. By “grandfather” he could have meant a large number of people from the Russian military complex. According to Kremlin sources whom the Russian exile portal Meduza spoke to, Prigozhin does not believe in this excuse. “Of course he can say later that he meant Shoigu or someone else. But people draw their own conclusions,” an anonymous source quoted in the report.
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US think tank, this is not the first time that Prigozhin has attacked high-ranking politicians. The Wagner boss has never expressed himself so clearly.
Putin does not comment – showing weakness
However, so far Putin has not responded to Prigozhin’s personal attacks, nor to allegations of poor military leadership. Noisy «Kyiv independent» Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, 55, meant only that the video had not been seen in the Kremlin.
American historian Sergey Radchenko (73) suspects Twitter: «If Putin does not respond to this, we know that he is done. You can’t just challenge the czar and survive.” The ISW also makes similar assumptions. According to their report, a lack of response to the video message could confirm rumors of Putin’s lack of political support.
There is also a pragmatic reason why Putin is not responding: they do not want to further upset Prigozhin and his men. Finally, the battle of Bakhmut – where the Wagner mercenaries play an important role – showed: without the mercenaries, the Russian army is not able to hold the fronts.
Is Prigozhin too dependent on the Kremlin?
But even if Prigozhin is dissatisfied with the situation at the front: the Wagner troops will not leave their position for the time being – even though Prigozhin announced a few days ago that he would withdraw his troops from Bakhmut on Wednesday due to poor military supplies.
While his threat to leave Bakhmut elicited no reaction from the Kremlin, he will now keep his troops there. According to his own statements, the Wagner boss was threatened with “retribution” if he followed through on his plans. The ISW experts also argue that Prigozhin is too dependent on the Kremlin and its funds for this.
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.
