Topline
Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin planned to capture two of Russia’s top military leaders during his armed rebellion last weekend, before the Russian intelligence service learned of the plan, Western officials told the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday—more details on one of the biggest threats to President Vladimir Putin’s regime in decades.
Western intelligence officials now believe Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s plans were … [+]
Key Facts
Prigozhin—who has led the mercenary Wagner Group for nearly ten years—planned to capture Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gen. Valery Gerasimov, the chief of Russia’s general staff, both of whom Prigozhin has criticized for their handling of the Ukraine invasion, Western officials told the Journal.
However, the Federal Security Service (FSB) found out about the plan two days before, so Prigozhin reportedly acted quicker than he had initially planned and on Friday captured the Russian city of Rostov—Russia’s logistical hub for its invasion of Ukraine given the proximity to the border.
Gen. Viktor Zolotov, commander of the National Guard of Russia, told Russia’s state-owned Tass news agency Tuesday that authorities knew about the planned armed rebellion before it began.
Meanwhile, Western intelligence agencies—through electronic communications intercepts and satellite imagery—also found out about the mercenary group’s plans ahead of action, a person familiar with the findings told the Journal.
In the days before the rebellion, Prigozhin reportedly gathered large amounts of ammunition, fuel and hardware including tanks, amore vehicles and sophisticated mobile air defenses.
Tangent
Prigozhin’s plan may have been dependent on his belief that others would join in the rebellion, the Journal and the New York Times have suggested. American officials told the Times Prigozhin would not have launched the rebellion without the belief that other powerful people would help him. U.S. officials are reportedly trying to ascertain whether Gen. Sergei Surovikin—a military leader who used to be a top Russian commander in Ukraine—may have helped Prigozhin in his rebellion.
Key Background
On Friday, the Wagner Group—a private army of more than 25,000 which has been heavily involved in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—began an armed rebellion after Prigozhin accused the Russian military of attacking one of the Wagner group’s camps. The Wagner Group subsequently claimed control over Russian military facilities in Voronezh and Rostov. Troops from the group then marched toward Moscow, but before they made it to the capital, Prigozhin and Putin struck a deal to stop the rebellion. The terms of the deal said Prigozhin would move to Belarus and no one involved in the armed rebellion would face charges, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. Details of that agreement have yet to emerge since the weekend. Wagner troops began pulling out of Rostov and Voronezh in southern Russia on Sunday. In an audio message released on Monday, Prigozhin doubled down on his claim saying the march was an attempt to hold officials accountable who, through their “unprofessional actions,” have committed a number of errors—including Russian forces allegedly killing 30 of his fighters, which Prigozhin claimed was a reaction to his commanders refusing to sign government contracts. Prigozhin said the march towards Moscow was “to demonstrate our protest, not to topple the government,” the BBC reported.
Further Reading
Wagner Chief Prigozhin Denies Attempting A Coup In First Comments Since Stunning Rebellion (Forbes)
Where Does Wagner Get Its Money? How Russia’s Mercenaries-Turned-Rebels Earned Millions From Contracts And Mining Deals. (Forbes)
Russia’s Wagner Rebellion ‘Shows Real Cracks’ In Putin’s Regime, Blinken Says (Forbes)
Russia’s ‘Civil War’ Crisis Explained: Prigozhin Accepts Peace Deal Without Charges, Moves Wagner Forces To Belarus (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/06/28/wagner-group-leader-planned-capture-of-2-top-russian-military-leaders-report-says/