The Wagner Group rebellion: 5 things to know about the recent events in Russia
The leader of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, declared a rebellion, seizing control of military facilities in two Russian cities and marching towards Moscow on June 24.
The Wagner group is an “independent fighting company” known popularly for being involved in significant conflicts like the ongoing war in Eastern Ukraine and the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014. On June 24, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the commander of Russia's Wagner Private Military Company, launched a brief mutiny against the country's defence equipment. (Image: News18 creative)
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On Friday, June 23, Prigozhin blamed the defence leadership for ordering strikes on Wagner and killing several of his soldiers through a video he posted on Telegram followed by another one in which he claimed Russia’s Southern Military District headquarters in Rostov-on-Don was taken over by his men. His men immediately began moving in a convoy along the main highway between Rostov and Moscow. (Image: News18 creative)
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3. Soon after the crisis began, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the country and claimed the mutiny to be a “stab in the back” as Prigozhin was very close to him. Through this mutiny, Prigozhin had called for the resignation of the MoD's senior officials, most notably Defence Minister Shoigu and Gen. Gerasimov. (Image: News18 creative)
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The mutiny is a big example of how Putin is incapable of solving a dispute between his security circle’s strongmen. In another address to the nation, Putin said that it took time to prevent serious destruction during the insurrection. (Image: News18 creative)
Prigozhin unexpectedly negotiated an agreement with the Kremlin to go into hiding and quit Russia for Belarus. Currently, no one knows his whereabouts. (Image: News18 creative)
