Prigozhin says Wagner Group is turning its convoys around.
They wanted to dissolve Wagner Group. On June 23, we set off on our “march of justice.” In the span of 24 hours, we got within 200 kilometers of Moscow. During the time, not a single drop of our fighters’ blood was shed. Now we’ve reached a point where bloodshed is possible. So, understanding the full responsibility for the potential shedding of Russian blood from either side, we’re turning our columns around and heading back in the opposite direction towards our field camps, according to plan.
Perhaps this isn’t the coup just yet. Most likely his attempts to rally the Russian military to his side failed and it’s possible that he was offered some kind of deal to not be arrested/killed if he waved off now.
How he was going to hold Moscow with less than 20k troops (assuming some peeled off on the march for various duties), I didn’t know. It’s a huge city and 20k troops would be a small footprint once you spread them out over such a large metro area. Maybe waving off at this point was all part of the expected brinksmanship he’s been playing with the head of the Russian MoD?
Interesting times in Russia!
it’s possible that he was offered some kind of deal
It’s been reported that Lukashenko (of Belarus) brokered a deal. I haven’t seen any further details.
Rumor only, part of the deal was he answers directly to Putin only. He no longer answers to the ministry of defense.
and to seal the deal, Putin has invited Prigozhin and his top leadership to tea.
Putin passes you a cup of tea. Do you accept? o.0
Only if I’ve spent decades building up an immunity to polonium.
As usual it’s all theater. The real question is if Putin was part of it from the start or if it was just him showing he had the loyalty of the Russian army.
I don’t think this is a stunt. I think Wagner got a head too large and something put them in place. Atleast for now.
Wagner doesn’t have air power and not much for air defenses.
FIRMS is showing a lot of fires in Lipetsk right now.
Could be coincidence, but it’s possible Wagner got bombed to shit.
What? Nothing was stopping them. They steam rolled.right into Moscow region and onto the doorstep of the city proper. As it is,bits unclear how much resistance they would have faced.
Worst revolution ever.
Only way the current situation makes sense to me:
- Prigozhin finds out Putin wants him dead
- Prigozhin decides “if I’m dead anyway, I’m taking Putin with me”
- Lukashenko somehow convinces Prigozhin that “it’s ok, Putin changed his mind and won’t kill you anymore” - so Prigozhin no longer feels the need to go for a suicide mission (although how Lukashenko convinced Prigozhin of this, I have no idea)
If this had really been about Shoigu or a coup or anything other than just a suicide mission, then the current result makes 0 sense. (But in that case, maybe the situation isn’t really over at all)
There’s reporting that Lukashenko offered Prigozhin safe haven in Belarus.
Well I hope he gets a ground floor flat and likes to wear gloves a lot
I don’t see how you’d ever be able to convince Prigozhin he’s not going to fall out a window, get novichok’d, or find some polonium in his tea after even daring to turn and march on Moscow.
“So, understanding the full responsibility for the potential shedding of Russian blood from either side”
What did he THINK would happen when he reached Moscow? Putin would come out on a terrace and address everyone with “Thank you for proving your resolve! As a reward, you may torture as many Ukrainians as you want!”
Basically this, but replace “Ukrainians” with “Africans”.
Feels fishy imo, we’ll see in the next 12-24 hours i guess.
So was this fake so that Putin has someone to blame for all the failures in Ukraine?
*And lets him have a crackdown on “dissent”.
*And dissolve Wagner. But you can’t just dissolve it because many are criminals. Now you can throw them back in prison.
*Or see who in the government joined with them. A test of loyalty.
Putin put on big daddy diapers and ran off on a plane when the march was hundreds of km away. Not exactly a power move.
That’s an interesting event, but makes it seem more real.
