- The coup is a direct challenge to President Putin
- The civil war in Russia had now officially begun
- The Wagner Army provides extensive support to the Russian army
The Russia-Ukraine war has been a hot topic for the past few months. In such a situation, a big news in the midst of this war is that a mutual war has started in Russia. In Russia, the head of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has rebelled against his own president, Vladimir Putin. In such a scenario, the challenge for Russian President Vladimir Putin is whether to face a cross-border war or internal opposition.
Russian President Putin has accused Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin of treason, starting an armed rebellion and stabbing his country in the back. At the same time, on this charge, Prigozhin says that his purpose is not a military coup, but a march for justice.
‘Russia will soon have a new president’
After Vladimir Putin’s speech, Wagner issued a statement through his Telegram channel. In this statement, Wagner says that Putin has made the wrong choice and that Russia will soon have a new president. Wagner also states that the victory will be his and the lives of one or two traitors are placed above the lives of 25,000 soldiers. Wagner’s statement said that the civil war in Russia had now officially begun.
Who are the people of Wagner’s army?
For months Prigozhin has played a key role in Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine. Wagner has released thousands of prisoners from Russian prisons and recruited them into his Wagner Army. They have long been in open conflict with warlords, but this has now turned into a rebellion. Wagner forces have entered the large southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don from occupied eastern Ukraine, claiming control of its military facilities.
Is this a coup?
Prigozhin claims that all claims of a military coup are nonsense. Controversy began over the failure of the army to provide sufficient kit and ammunition to the soldiers in Wagner’s army. But now this private army has become a direct challenge to Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Armed Forces Chief Valery Gerasimov. However Prigozhin clearly states that so far it is not a coup, as no attempt has been made to wrest power from the government. It should be noted that Prigozhin’s private army does not directly represent the Russian army, although it provides extensive support to the Russian army.
Attempt to oust high officials
Significantly, this coup by Wagner’s army is precisely an attempt to oust Russia’s top brass. The uprising is believed to be a direct challenge to President Putin. There was a time when President Putin allowed Prigozhin to raise such a private army. But now Putin himself has no control over this private army. Now Prigozhin himself has become so rebellious that he stands as a direct challenge to Putin.
The Kremlin operates on alert mode
The Kremlin (the residence of the President) is taking this coup seriously. The entire Moscow region has been put on alert under a strict ‘anti-terror operation regime’ and many major events have been cancelled. There are similar measures in the Voronezh region near Ukraine’s north-eastern border.
In the midst of this rebellion, Prigozhin claimed that he currently had 25,000 soldiers in this private army and that anyone who wanted to join could join. In such a situation it is a direct challenge to the military leadership. Prigozhin takes his private army, Wagner, to Rostov and surrounds the army headquarters. The war is being waged from the city of Rostov. Prigozhin claims that both the Minister of the Russian Army and the Chief of Staff have escaped from this military headquarters. Prigozhin has claimed he is not betraying Russia and has criticized President Putin, saying he is a very wrong person.
