"March of Justice" is how Yevgeny Prigozhin refers to it. A "criminal escapade" and an "armed mutiny," according to Vladimir Putin. It was referred to as "a coup" by a senior Russian commander.
Whatever you want to call it, the Wagner chief has taken extreme measures to try to overthrow Russia's military authorities.
This had been developing. Wagner and Russia's ministry of defense have been at odds over how the war in Ukraine has been fought for months, and their disagreements have been very public.
Wagner had repeatedly charged that the ministry was deliberately undersupplying the mercenary group with ammunition. ).
Sergei Shoigu, the defense minister, and Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the general staff, had come under increasing fire from Prigozhin.
It's one thing to criticize. Another is a conflict involving force.
However, according to Prigozhin, the defence ministry started it with a missile strike on a Wagner base camp on Friday. The Russian authorities contest that it ever took place. They refer to that tale as "an information provocation.".
If a coup is being attempted, it is not a conventional one.
Prigozhin has taken care not to attack Vladimir Putin or the Russian government in his social media rants.
He has consistently emphasized that his issue is with the military hierarchy rather than the Kremlin.
But President Putin doesn't find much solace in that. It doesn't exactly speak well of the man in charge, the president and commander-in-chief, when a private Russian army engages in armed insurrection (especially when that army is supposed to be fighting on your side).
Vladimir Putin needed to convince the Russian people that he is still in charge, which is why he gave that speech to the nation on Saturday morning.
It appears that Prigozhin won't be calmed down by a private conversation in the Kremlin.
The word "betrayal" and the phrase "stabbed in the back" were frequently used in President Putin's speech. ".
A "tough response" was his assurance.
Saying it is simple. much more difficult.
Senior Russian commanders will undoubtedly be behind President Putin. Some people have already expressed their disapproval of Prigozhin's actions in public.
The attitude of the army's lower ranks is less clear at the moment. What degree of resonance did Prigozhin's criticisms of military leaders there?
I experienced intense déjà vu while watching the president give his TV address. .
I recalled his dramatic speech exactly 16 months prior, in which he declared the beginning of his "special military operation," which included a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Vladimir Putin of those days was very different.
He exuded an extreme sense of victory confidence.
The Russian authorities thought that operation would be over in a few days at most.
But nothing went at all as planned. The war between Russia and Ukraine caused widespread death and destruction throughout the world. It led to unrest within Russia itself.
And as a result, Prigozhin and his Wagner fighters are involved in the dramatic events we are currently watching.
It gives the Kremlin yet another major headache.
President Putin is not only engaged in a conflict in Ukraine.
He is currently dealing with a mutiny at home.
