In the words of Winston Churchill, Russian leaders are like "bulldogs fighting under a carpet." More than a year after Mr. Putin's invasion of Ukraine, it seems that his dogs of war are now openly fighting each other. As the drama unfolds, the world becomes a captive audience, observing with bated breath how the intricate plot of power dynamics will unfold on this turbulent stage.
In the face of accusations, betrayal, and rising insurrection, does Vladimir Putin's response reflect a cunning manipulation of power-hungry factions or a loss of control over his subordinates? The whole drama started on Friday (June 23), when the fight between Russia's warlords suddenly turned into what is basically a big rebellion. Wagner mercenaries started going against the regular army and trying to control the city of Rostov-on-Don, which is close to Ukraine. The president, Vladimir Putin, spoke to the nation about the crisis and called Prigozhin's actions a betrayal of Russia. People are asking if he is playing games with power-hungry groups or if he is losing control of his own team.
The Wagner rebellion started when their
leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, made videos accusing Russia's army of attacking his
group. He threatened to bring thousands of his fighters to fight back. Some
generals made videos asking the Wagner troops to stay loyal, but it didn't
work. On June 24th, there were videos on social media showing Wagner soldiers
surrounding important places in Rostov-on-Don. People watched the videos and
saw a street-sweeper working nearby. Later, Prigozhin was filmed outside a
military building, calling Russian generals "clowns." He said they
could keep fighting in Ukraine but demanded that the top leaders talk to him,
or he would go to Moscow. Further north in Pavlovsk, videos seemed to show
helicopters fighting. Wagner claimed they shot one down, and the army let them
pass. Russian media didn't report on what happened in Rostov-on-Don, but the TASS
News Agency published pictures of the soldiers, calling them Wagner fighters in
English.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian forces have been
trying to push back against their enemy, Russia. Although their progress has
been slow, they will be happy to see the confusion and disorder among the
Russian troops. It's not clear yet if they can take advantage of this situation
and win in battle. Russia said that the Ukrainian troops were using Prigozhin's
actions to plan an attack near Bakhmut, where there has been a lot of violent
fighting involving Wagner. The Ukrainian commanders say they haven't used all
their forces yet and are still looking for weak spots. However, it seems that
they have already caused enough problems for Russia's military leaders.
Epic Showdown!
Mr. Prigozhin and the military leaders have
been rivals for a long time. He has gained a lot of followers by making videos
where he complains about the high command's corruption and incompetence. His
group, filled with ex-convicts, has proven to be better fighters than regular
Russian troops. Mr. Prigozhin has accused top officials of being cowards and
deliberately withholding weapons and supplies from his group.
On June 23rd, Mr. Prigozhin posted videos
that were even more surprising than usual. He questioned the reasons for Mr.
Putin's military operation and claimed there was no real threat from Ukraine.
He said Russian leaders, not Mr. Putin, had led the country to war because of
corruption and selfishness. He also said Ukrainian forces were advancing,
contradicting the Kremlin's claims. He called the information from the Kremlin
a complete lie.
Things took a serious turn when Mr. Prigozhin
claimed that Russian army units had attacked and killed thousands of Wagner
fighters. He vowed that his group would respond and march against the Russian
army, but he denied it was a coup. He specifically targeted Mr. Shoigu,
accusing him of ordering the attack and running away to avoid explaining his
actions. In another video, Mr. Prigozhin declared that the military
leadership's evil deeds must be stopped. He demanded that nobody resist but
didn't say what he would do. He also warned that his group would consider
anyone who resisted a threat and destroy them immediately.
There is a lot of uncertainty about Mr.
Prigozhin's actions. Mr. Putin has allowed him to criticize the campaign, even
though others are jailed for calling it a "war." However, Mr.
Prigozhin seems to have genuinely unsettled the top military brass. The defense
ministry denied Mr. Prigozhin's accusations and called them a
"provocation." The FSB, the main Russian security service, announced
that they would prosecute Mr. Prigozhin for calling for an armed uprising. They
warned Wagner fighters not to make a mistake, stop using force against the
Russian people, and take steps to detain him. Senior generals who support
Wagner also released their own videos late at night. General Surovikin, a
deputy commander, sat with a rifle and pleaded with Wagner units to stop. He
said the enemy was waiting for the political situation in Russia to worsen and
urged them to follow Mr. Putin's orders.
Security forces, including armored vehicles,
were seen in Moscow, and important facilities and authorities were given extra
protection. Mr. Putin's spokesperson said that the necessary measures were
being taken, and Mr. Putin himself vowed punishment for anybody or group
causing armed uprising in Russia. Some analysts see this as a power struggle
between Mr. Shoigu and Mr. Prigozhin.
In the words of Winston Churchill, Russian
leaders are now like "bulldogs fighting under a carpet." More than a
year after Mr. Putin's invasion of Ukraine, it seems that his dogs of war are
now openly fighting each other. After over a year since Mr. Putin launched his
invasion of Ukraine, a surprising turn of events has occurred. Instead of
focusing on external conflicts, it appears that the internal strife within
Russia's ranks has escalated. The once united "dogs of war" under
Putin's command are now engaged in open conflict amongst themselves. This
unexpected twist highlights a growing rift and power struggle within the
Russian military and government. As the dogs of war fight amongst themselves,
the consequences and implications of this internal turmoil remain uncertain,
leaving observers questioning the stability and future course of Russia's
actions.
Notes
Getty, J. A. (2013). Practicing
Stalinism: Bolsheviks, Boyars, and the Persistence of Tradition. New Haven:
Yale University Press.
Osborn , A., & Liffey,
K. (2023, June 24). Russian Mercenary Boss Prigozhin in Standoff With
Russian Army Amid 'Armed Mutiny'. Retrieved from Yahoo! News:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/wagner-head-suggests-mercenaries-headed-043537006.html
Regan , H., & Raine, A.
(2023, June 24). Russia Accuses Wagner Chief of Urging "Armed
Rebellion". Retrieved from CNN:
https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-06-24-23/index.html
TASS News Agency. (2023,
June 23). Prigozhin Charged With Armed Mutiny, to Face Up to 20 Years in
Prison. Retrieved from https://tass.com/russia/1637475
The Economist. (2023, June
24). Rebellion in Russia: Wagner Rebels Turn Against Putin’s Army.
Retrieved from
https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/06/24/wagner-rebels-turn-against-putins-army
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