Russia’s leadership is experiencing significant “friction and confusion” following the uprising by the Wagner mercenary group last month, but the impact this is having on the Ukraine front remains unclear. This was stated by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Armed Forces, General Mark Milley, quoted by Reuters.
The June 24 rebellion, led by Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose fighters seized the city of Rostov-on-Don and marched hundreds of kilometers toward Moscow with virtually no resistance on the ground, ended abruptly with an agreement brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko .
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Prigozhin clarified that the uprising was not aimed at overthrowing the government, but “bringing to justice” the heads of the army and defense for their mistakes and unprofessional actions in Ukraine.
“At the strategic level, it is quite clear that there is considerable friction and confusion,” General Milley noted during a visit to Asia.
“There’s a lot of drama going on at a very high level. How will it all play out at the end of the day? I’m not quite sure yet,” he pointed out. “I don’t think we’re done with this. I think there are many more chapters of the story to come.”
Milli said lower-level Russian servicemen in Ukraine were likely more focused on the situation on the ground and surviving day to day.
After the rebellion, which was the biggest domestic challenge to the Russian state in decades, President Vladimir Putin left Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov in their posts.
Putin initially denounced the mutineers as traitors, then indicated they would be allowed to leave for Belarus. The latest surprising news to come out of the Kremlin this week is that Putin met with Prigogine and his commanders just five days after the revolt.
Prigogine’s exact whereabouts are not revealed. Lukashenko initially announced that Prigozhin was in Belarus, but last week announced that he had returned to Russia.
“I think he’s traveling back and forth (between Russia and Belarus), to be honest,” Milli noted, but declined to reveal exactly where he thought Prigozhin was.
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2023-07-13 12:35:00
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