Prigogine’s ‘rebellion’: What do Wagner fighters think? Social media analysis
5 hours ago
In less than 24 hours, the rebellion against the Russian government by the Russian mercenaries Wagner, led by Evgeny Prigozhin, was over. But its impact is still felt in Russia.
On June 23-24, Wagner occupied military positions in southwestern Russia in what he called a “justice march.” He proceeded with the convoy to the capital, Moscow, but with a few hundred kilometers to go stopped his advance and withdrew.
Russia initially said it had launched a criminal investigation against Prigozhin, but later announced that he had agreed to move to neighboring Belarus. Criminal prosecution against him appears to have been dropped.
Prigozhin posted an audio message on the messaging app Telegram claiming he did not overthrow Putin’s government. He arrived in Belarus on the 27th.
The Russian government plans to transfer Wagner’s heavy weapons and other equipment to the Russian military. Wagner fighters are given the option of contracting with the regular army, returning home, or moving to Belarus.
Under these circumstances, the BBC Verify (verification team) analyzed messages posted on Russian social media.
We explored what the so-called Wagner fighters think about the “March of Justice” and whether Wagner leader Prigozin still has the support of the fighters.
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2023-06-30 07:05:49
