The head of Russia’s Wagner paramilitary group reportedly been moved to deny his band of mercenaries are going to stage a coup against the Kremlin, following months of speculation that he may seek to overthrow and replace Vladimir Putin.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of the Wagner Private Military Company, denied that he is intending on staging a military coup against Vladimir Putin’s regime, which he has been increasingly critical of, particularly in the handling of the war in Ukraine.
In comments reported by U.S. think tank the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Prigozhin argued that his mercenary group does not have the manpower to carry out a successful coup in Russia and that they have good relations with Putin, regardless. He went on to claim that Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, whom he is frequently at odds with, is more likely to try to overthrow the current Russian government than he is.
The Wagner chief raised eyebrows last week when he said that the failures of the Ukraine war and the disproportionate impact on the working classes of Russia could spark another revolution in the country akin to 1917. However, Prigozhin clarified that he was not advocating for a revolution, but merely making suggestions on how to improve the country and the war effort.
Perhaps demonstrating that the Kremlin does see Prigozhin as a potential threat, the Wagner chief also recently claimed that state media in Russia has been barred from reporting on his often bellicose comments about the government.
Cracking Coalition? Wagner Chief Appears to Mock ‘Grandpa’ Putin as a ‘Complete Asshole’https://t.co/f3E3qLlMkg
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) May 11, 2023
In his latest attacks against what he sees as an out-of-touch and elitist government in Moscow, the mercenary boss criticised the failure to prevent the drone strike in the Russian capital.
“Regarding the drones that fly over Moscow and in Moscow. Stinky creatures, what are you doing? You are cattle! Get your shit out of the offices you’ve been put in to defend this country. You are the Department of Defense. You didn’t do a damn thing to step on. Why the fuck are you allowing these drones to fly to Moscow?” he said.
“As a citizen, I am deeply indignant that these scum sit quietly and sit on their fat assholes smeared with expensive creams. And therefore, I believe that the people have every right to ask them these questions, these bastards.”
Prigozhin, who is fresh off leading one of the most significant military victories on the ground in Ukraine for Russia in months, having overseen the capture of Bakhmut, has said that Wagner suffered heavy losses in the fight for the city, claiming that upwards of 20,000 in his group were killed.
He has laid much of the blame for this on the head of the Defence Ministry, and in particular Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, whom he has suggested should face capital punishment in the Red Square for his failures, including not supplying his mercenaries with proper levels of ammunition.
Wagner Chief Warns of Second Russian Revolution over Ukraine War Failureshttps://t.co/j3a6dpZXHQ
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) May 24, 2023
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