Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin is currently overseeing a fragile and fragmented country as trusted ally and Leader of the Wagner Mercenary Group,Yevgeny Prigozhin launches offensive against Moscow capturing Key military headquarters in Rostov – on – Don , a facility critical to its war on Ukraine.
Before the bitter feud with Putin, Wagner had fought alongside Russia taking the frontlines in the war against Ukraine.
The Wagner group was responsible for the capture of Bakmut,a Ukrainian city.
However, callous attacks repeatedly targeted at Wagner’s fighters killing them in their numbers by Russian Military changed the narrative resulting in the group raising arms against the state.
Attempts by the government to separate Prigozhin from the Wagner group and even criminalising them proved abortive as his forces made up of thousands of prison recruits dared Kremlin vowing to bring the Putin regime to an end.
According to the group, the Putin regime was economical with the large scale Russian losses in Ukraine.
Putin’s reaction
Meanwhile, the capture of Rostov has generated stiff reactions from Putin
Obviously refering to Prigozhin,he warned ” Any internal turmoil is a deadly threat to our statehood and to us as a nation. This is a blow to Russia and to our people.
” This battle, when the fate of our people is being decided, requires the unification of all forces.
” What we have been faced with is exactly betrayal.Extravagant ambitions and personal interests led to treason
” All those who consciously stood on the path of betrayal,who prepared an armed rebellion, stood on the path of blackmail and terrorist methods, will suffer inevitable punishment, before the law and before our people.
The internal fight in Russia appears to be a paradigm shift from its war on Ukraine that began on February 24,2022.
Over 20,000 soldiers killed since the beginning of the war while civilian casualties figure according to Reuters is put at 354,000.
