Russian Mercenary Group Wagner's Leader Declares Armed Rebellion Against Russia, took control of key city
In a significant development, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the private military contractor Wagner, announced on June 24 an armed rebellion with the objective of removing the Russian Defence Minister from power. Prigozhin claimed that his forces had taken control of the Russian military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don.
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Wagner's paramilitary group has played a critical role in Russia's engagement in Ukraine, notably capturing the city of Bakhmut, which has witnessed some of the most intense and protracted battles. Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian tycoon with close ties to the Kremlin and the owner of Wagner, has now posed his most direct challenge to the government, advocating for an armed rebellion to overthrow the Defence Minister.
Prigozhin, asserting authority over approximately 25,000 troops, vowed to hold Defence Minister Shoigu accountable through an armed uprising and urged the army not to resist, framing it as a quest for justice rather than a military coup.
Over a year after Russia initiated its invasion of Ukraine, tensions continue to escalate. The West recently announced the supply of advanced weaponry to Ukraine, further deepening its involvement in the conflict. In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has already reinforced Russian positions along the 1,000-kilometer-long frontline in Ukraine with hundreds of thousands of troops, announced the suspension of his country's participation in the New Start treaty, raising concerns about a potential nuclear arms race. Ukraine, benefitting from the influx of weapons from Western nations, aims to halt Russian advances and launch its own offensive to reclaim lost territories. As the conflict persists, the risks of a direct confrontation between Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), both nuclear powers, are on the rise.
Prigozhin, whose Wagner militia spearheaded the seizure of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut last month, has persistently accused Shoigu and Gerasimov of incompetence while alleging that they have withheld ammunition and support for Wagner's operations in Ukraine.
This dramatic turn of events, with many details yet to be clarified, poses the most significant domestic crisis for President Vladimir Putin since he ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine—referred to as a "special military operation"—in February of the previous year.
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