The surprising and short-lived mutiny by Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin on June 24 brought new attention to the shadowy mercenary organization, which has been active in Africa and the Middle East for many years.
Admiral Nikolay Yevmenov, the commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy, met with Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu on Monday during a visit to Beijing, the first such highest-level military visit of a Russian official to China since the head of the Wagner paramilitary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, apparently attempted an armed mutiny in June.
The Russia Revolution of 1917 brought us the Soviet Union, the Warsaw Pact, gulags, the Holomodor, and the Cold War, which although it may have been “cold,” still resulted in the deaths of 100 million innocent people. As a result, last weekend’s “news” about thousands of mercenaries heading to Moscow to take over the government from Vladimir Putin was disturbing, to say the least.
Satellite images analyzed by the Associated Press on Saturday showed what appeared to be a newly built military-style camp in Belarus.
Russian President Vladimir Putin treated himself to a victory lap for scuttling warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin’s insurrection by strolling through the coastal city of Derbent on Thursday and posing for selfies with a crowd of admirers.
The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday announced sanctions against four companies linked to the infamous Wagner Group and its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin.
The Moscow Times, among several other outlets, reported on Wednesday that top Russian General Sergei Surovikin has apparently been missing since Saturday – and may have been arrested in the aftermath of the aborted Wagner Group mutiny against the Defense Ministry this weekend.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that thousands of mercenaries from the Wagner Group will remain deployed in Africa, even though Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin led a mutiny against the Russian military over the weekend and then sought refuge in Belarus with some of his forces.
Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has arrived in Belarus after his failed rebellion against the Kremlin, Alexander Lukashenko said.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman expressed support to Russian leader Vladimir Putin in a phone call on Tuesday following the bizarre events of this weekend, when the head of the Wagner mercenary group threatened to march into Moscow and take over the Defense Ministry.
Russian prosecutor claims the investigation against mercenary warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin and his allies has been dropped.
The whereabouts of mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin remained a mystery Tuesday after Russia’s Putin vowed punishment.
Former Obama administration U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul said Monday on MSNBC’s “Katy Tur Reports” that Russian President Vladimir Putin was scared of Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner mercenaries.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu resurfaced on Monday, making his first public appearance after an aborted insurrection by Wagner Group mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin.
In his first speech following the apparent Wagner coup attempt, Vladimir Putin said organisers of the mutiny will be “brought to justice”.
Chinese state media propaganda outlets undermined the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s robust support of Russian leader Vladimir Putin with analyses on Sunday and Monday questioning if Putin could stabilize his country after Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin threatened – and abruptly canceled – an armed march on Moscow.
Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin on Monday morning issued his first statement since his aborted insurrection over the weekend.
The prominent players in Russia’s drama remain elusive days later, with even new videos being of unclear origin.
Multiple Russian news outlets, including the government-tied Tass news network and the newspaper Kommersant, reported on Monday that the head of the Wagner Private Military Company (PMC), Yevgeny Prigozhin, continues to face a criminal case for attempting an “armed mutiny” against the Russian Defense Ministry.
The decision to turn back from Moscow followed threats against the families of Wagner leaders from the Kremlin, UK security sources claimed.
Former CIA director and retired U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin “should be very careful around open windows” after he called off the armed rebellion he launched against Russia’s leaders.
Intelligence officials were conducting detailed briefings at the White House, the Pentagon, and on Capitol Hill about the potential for unrest in Russia a full 24-hours before Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin launched the ultimately failed march on Moscow, two newspaper outlets have claimed.
Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that the armed rebellion led by head of the Wagner paramilitary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin showed “a crack in the strength of Vladimir Putin at home.”
Russian deputy foreign minister Andrei Rudenko arrived in Beijing on Sunday for talks with China’s foreign minister Qin Gang just hours after it was confirmed paramilitary supporters of warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin had curtailed their march on Moscow.
The exile of Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin to Belarus could be a smokescreen for a surprise attack on Ukraine, a former UK army chief warned.
Under the deal announced by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Prigozhin will go to Belarus, and charges against him will be dropped.
The Wagner paramilitary forces of Yevgeny Prigozhin have reportedly broken through to the Lipetsk Region, around 230 miles south of Moscow.
Yevgeny Prigozhin refused to surrender amid claims of a coup attempt against the Kremlin and warnings that his forces are marching on Moscow.
“Armed rebellion” against Moscow is treason and betrayal which Putin will “react harshly” to with “inevitable punishment”, he said.
The government of Russia confirmed late Friday that it had opened an investigation into and filed charges against the leader of the Wagner paramilitary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, for calling for “armed rebellion” against Moscow.
Ramzan Kadyrov’s Islamist-Chechen paramilitary group signed a deal to come under the control of the Kremlin, Russia’s Defence Ministry said.
Yevgeny Prigozhin said Wagner is not capable of staging a coup against the Kremlin, following speculation that he may seek to overthrow and replace Vladimir Putin.
Wagner chief warned of another Russian revolution akin to that of 1917 unless the strategy of the war in Ukraine is drastically altered
Russia’s Wagner chief claimed Saturday that his forces had fully captured the city of Bakhmut, however, Ukrain has refused to concede defeat.
The battle for Bakhmut has apparently taken a turn in favour of Ukraine, with the Russians retreating in “bad order”, according to UK intel.
The belligerent boss of the Russian mercenary Wagner Group threatened on Wednesday to pull out the teeth of French President Emmanuel Macron.
Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin appeared to take some verbal shots at Vladimir Putin, seemingly referring to him as a delusional “grandpa”.
The head of the Wagner mercenary group said Russia had promised more ammunition after threatening to pull out in scathing videos.
Russian paramilitary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin threatened to pull troops out of Bakhmut, the centre of Ukraine’s fight against Moscow’s forces.
Ukrainian forces have released what they claim is video footage of a “street fight” between the State Border Guard Service and Wagner Group mercenaries in the key battleground city of Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast.
