![]() We have video of the defence minister Sergei Shoigu inspecting a Western command forward operating base apparently in the "special military operation zone", supposedly this morning, though Telegram chatter is busily debating whether it was filmed before the coup took place.Īnd Prigozhin was presumably told in no uncertain terms to keep his head down in Belarus for the time being, even if he is not the type who likes to keep quiet for long. And the question remains, especially in the absence of any clear direction from Vladimir Putin - what happens next?Įxpect the Kremlin to deliver a bit more of the "business as usual", "nothing to see here" Putin diary appointment videos. The phrase is commonly used in Ukraine about operational security. Russian sources claimed the first Wagner column that began moving towards the capital consisted of 350 pieces of equipment, including nine tanks, four Tigr infantry fighting vehicles, a Grad MLRS system, and a howitzer, it added.Īfter a deal was struck, and Prigozhin's men started to leave the city, a prominent Wagner-affiliated Telegram channel shared an AI-generated image of him holding a finger to his lips and stating "plans love silence", the ISW said. The Kremlin turned to negotiations involving Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Chief of Staff of the Russian Presidential Office Anton Vaino, and Russian Ambassador to Belarus Boris Gryzlov, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said. More details have emerged about the Wagner Group's 24-hour mutiny at the weekend.Īs the mercenary fighters moved north from the city of Rostov-on-Don towards Moscow, Vladimir Putin reportedly refused to speak to their leader Yevgeny Prigozhin on the phone. The government is closely watching for any changes to Putin's top personnel, including defence minister Shoigu and head of the military General Gerasimov, but the message from ministers today is likely to be watching and waiting, as any power shift could be slow to play out. ![]() No-one was going to join him."Ĭhair of the Defence Select Committee Tobias Ellwood told Sky News that Prigozhin had, for the Russian people, busted some myths of the invasion, posting a video that said the war was based on lies and making blistering criticism of Russia's generals. He said: "I think it rapidly became clear, particularly when the shooting began, that he didn't really have any prospect of succeeding. Some in government have been cautioning that talk of a Russian collapse is premature.Įx-MI6 chief Sir Alex Younger said in a radio interview this morning that Putin was "significantly weakened", but ultimately, Prigozhin did not have enough men to carry out a coup, so Putin could "hang around for a long time". However, Mr Blinken told CBS it was "too early" to predict what impact the mutiny could have on the Kremlin.Īs the rebellion gathered pace on Saturday, the Ministry of Defence said on its official Twitter feed that "this represents the most significant challenge to the Russian state in recent times" but that how it played out would depend on the loyalty of Russia's security forces and army. Mr Blinken said the attempted rebellion by Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin "raises profound questions, shows real cracks" in Vladimir Putin’s authority. We will be looking out for whether James Cleverly and others echo the language used by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken this weekend. But some defence sources I've spoken to urge caution. ![]() ![]() A statement on the UK government's assessment of developments in Russia this weekend will be delivered at around 3.30pm by the foreign secretary.Īfter a dramatic 24-hour mutiny by the Wagner Group, there is much discussion among analysts about whether it is the beginning of the end for Vladimir Putin.
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