Yevgeny Prigozhin posted a series of angry recordings in which he accused Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu of ordering a rocket strike Friday on his company’s field camps in Ukraine.
The owner of the Wagner private military contractor escalated his direct challenge to the Kremlin on Friday, calling for an armed rebellion aimed at ousting Russia’s defense minister. The security services reacted immediately by opening a criminal investigation into Yevgeny Prigozhin and calling for his arrest.
In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin was taking the threat, riot police and the National Guard have been scrambled to tighten security at key facilities in Moscow, including government agencies and transport infrastructure, the state news agency Tass reported. The Russian Defense Ministry required all military contractors to sign contracts with it before July 1, but Prigozhin, whose feud with the Defense Ministry dates back years, refused to comply. In a statement issued late Friday, he said he was ready to find a compromise with the Defense Ministry, but “they have treacherously cheated us.”
Col. Gen. Sergei Surovikin, the deputy commander of the Russian group of forces fighting in Ukraine, urged the Wagner forces to stop any move against the army, saying it would play into the hands of Russia’s enemies, who are “waiting to see the exacerbation of our domestic political situation.”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Military contractor calls for rebellion against Russian defense chief, Kremlin orders his arrestThe owner of the Wagner private military contractor has escalated his direct challenge to the Kremlin, calling for an armed rebellion aimed at ousting Russia’s defense minister.
Read more »
Russian mercenary chief vows retaliation after he says Russia killed 2,000 fighters, Kremlin alleges 'armed mutiny'Russia quickly launched a criminal investigation after Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin’s warned that his troops would move to punish Russia’s defense minister.
Read more »
Russian mercenary chief accuses Russian army of bombing his troopsRussian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin accuses the Russian military of “destroying” his fighters, vowing to stop the “evil” of the military leadership, Reuters reports.
Read more »
Russian mercenary boss vows to avenge alleged army attack; Moscow denies accusationRussian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin on Friday accused the Russian military of 'destroying' his fighters, without fully explaining his accusation, and vowed to stop the 'evil' of the military leadership.
Read more »
Prigozhin accuses Putin's military leaders of 'genocide' against RussiansWagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin blamed the Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu for the 'murder of tens of thousands of Russian citizens.'
Read more »
Wagner leader declares war on Russian military after alleged attackYevgeny Prigozhin, head of The Wagner Group, claimed Russia's forces attacked his troops in Ukraine.
Read more »