The capital, Moscow, and the Moscow oblast have taken extraordinary measures to enforce security, though it is most likely the perceived threat is from possible defections to the mutiny from the regular army and security organs, not from advancing units of the Wagner Group. We have been told that Prigozhin began his rebellion by claiming his troops were under air attack from the regular army. He denounced the Ministry of Defense, denounced the war on Ukraine as having been initiated without need to suit the ambitions of Russia’s top generals. He is clearly seeking to win over the rank in file soldiers of the Russian Armed Forces and therein lies the greatest danger, the “stab in the back” and blatant “treason” as called out by the Kremlin. Prigozhin’s mutinous troops came into Russia proper from the Donbas, crossing the Ukraine-Russian border and moving east and northeast.
From the words of President Putin’s five minute address to the nation at 10.00am Moscow time we understand that the Wagner Group has moved into the major urban area and staging ground for the Ukrainian war, Rostov-on-Don, where they have surrounded military and civilian government buildings. Putin called the situation there dangerous. He used the words “blackmail” and “terrorism” to describe what the Wagner units are doing.
All that one can say at this point is that there is a struggle to the death going on at this moment between the government in Moscow and the mutineers under the direction of Progozhin. If the war chief survives the military operation now launched against him and is taken captive, he and his confederates will be brought before justice on charges of treason.
©Gilbert Doctorow, 2023