The entire world went into shock & surprise after the chief of the Russian mercenary group (private army) Wagner- Yevgeny Prigozhin on Friday called for an armed rebellion against Russia's top leadership especially defense minister amidst the Ukraine conflict. Yevgeny Prigozhin's threat to Russia sparked a possible coup aimed at dethroning Russian President Vladimir Putin and also a possible start of civil war in Moscow. Hours after Yevgeny Prigozhin's threat to the Russian establishment, p, videos on social media purportedly showed its forces skirting Rostov-on-Don, home to the Russian military headquarters for the southern region and also oversees the fighting in Ukraine. Not only this, multiple reports surfaced that there have been clashes between Wagner and the Russian troops in the Pavlovsk district of the Voronezh Region. Yevgeny Prigozhin's open rebellion also got remarks from Russian President Vladimir Putin who slammed the Wagner boss for 'treason'. Reports further suggest that Yevgeny Prigozhin, have seized a Russian military HQ and announced an "armed rebellion" against Russia's army.
Now, the question arises who is Yevgeny Prigozhin and why he has decided to take up arms against his own government at a time when his country is at war against Ukraine? Let's understand in detail below-
Who is Yevgeny Prigozhin?
Talking about the Wagner boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin do not have a 'clean slate' history. Yevgeny Prigozhin was convicted of robbery and assault in 1981. In this case, the Wagner Boss was sentenced to 12 years in prison. After he was released, Yevgeny Prigozhin opened a restaurant business in St. Petersburg in the 1990s. In this eatery, Yevgeny Prigozhin met Vladimir Putin who was then the city’s deputy mayor. Yevgeny Prigozhin's closeness to Putin turned out to be fruitful for him as he developed his catering business and even won many high-profile government contracts. This earned Yevgeny Prigozhin the nickname of "Putin's Chef". Later in the year, he expanded his footprint into other areas like media and also the internet 'troll factory' that led to his indictment in the U.S. for meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Thereafter in January, Yevgeny Prigozhin accepted that he has founded and funded the Wagner company.
Yevgeny Prigozhin in Rostov:
— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) June 24, 2023
“We lost huge amount of territories in Ukraine. The Russian losses in Ukraine are 3-4 times higher than reported by the Russian High Command. Up to 1000 casualties a day (KIA + WIA).”#Coup #Rostov #Russia pic.twitter.com/mz0cSvVtpk
Update: Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and his army have reportedly travelled through several checkpoints on their way toward Moscow, Russia with no resistance.
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) June 24, 2023
Prigozhin has called on the Russian National Guard to join his side to fight against the Russian Army.
The Wagner… pic.twitter.com/wF44yJEKL2
Why Yevgeny Prigozhin started the Russian rebellion?
Yevgeny Prigozhin accused the Russian Defense Ministry and Kremlin for launching a missile attack on a Wagner training camp in Bakhmut, Ukraine, which killed dozens. Notably, early on Saturday, he announced he had taken control of the Russian army HQ in Rostov-on-Don - as he vowed to march toward Moscow. On the other hand, the Russian government has denied that it launched missile attack on Wagner.
What Vladimir Putin said about his 'friend-turned-foe'?
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Vladimir Putin after a long time gave a televised speech. In his speech, Putin lashed out at the 'traitors' for launching attack against their own 'motherland'. Addressing the people of Russia, Putin said, "This is a criminal campaign. It is equivalent to armed mutiny. Russia will defend itself and repel this move..We are fighting for the life and security of our citizens and our territorial integrity. Everything has to be done in order to put this danger to rest."
Putin further said, "It is an attempt to subvert us from inside. This is treason. In the face of those who are fighting on the front, this is a stab in the back of the troops and the people of Russia." Putin also warned of "inevitable punishment" for those attacking "the motherland".
The head of the private military contractor Wagner called Friday for an armed rebellion aimed at ousting Russia’s defense minister. Russian security services reacted immediately by opening a criminal investigation into Yevgeny Prigozhin.
He has previously bashed the country’s military leadership for failures in the war in Ukraine, and is known for his long-running feud with the Defense Ministry.
e chief of the mercenary group Wagner vowed to oust Russia's military leadership, videos on social media purportedly showed its forces skirting Rostov-on-Don, home to the Russian military headquarters for the southern region and also oversees the fighting in Ukraine. There were also reports of clashes between members of the mercenary group and the Russian troops in the Pavlovsk district of the Voronezh Region.