According to multiple sources, a serious Russian mutiny has broken out with the Wagner Group, the mercenary force that suffered greatly during the Bakhmut offensive. The city of Rostov in Russia is supposedly under Wagner rebel control.
Business Insider reports:
Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin blasted Russia’s defense ministry as “evil” on Friday, saying Moscow’s military leadership “must be stopped” after an alleged missile strike killed scores of his fighters, allegations immediately denied by that Russia’s ministry of defense.
Earlier in the day, the Russian FSB had issued an arrest warrant for Prigozhin, and have called on his own troops to detain him, to no avail so far.
Prigozhin, the leader of Wagner and longtime ally of Putin, has decried the Russian Army’s tactics that he sees as callous. He has accused the Russian Army of betraying the Russian people. In retaliation for the alleged attack, Wagner has completely taken over Rostov which hosts the theater headquarters for the Ukraine War.
🚨 Prigozhin issued his first public address from the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don, a city with a population of 1.1 million, which Wagner PMC now fully control.
— Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) June 24, 2023
English subtitles. pic.twitter.com/SDg4astcaY
Rostov is also a major logistical node linking Ukraine, the Black Sea, Moscow, and the Caucasus. By controlling Rostov, the Wagner group has both threatened the communication lines of the Russia troops in Ukraine, potentially giving the Ukrainians a chance to push their offensive.
Wagner troops are also allegedly moving towards Voronezh, the only major city between Moscow and Rostov. Should that city fall, this crisis will reach an entire new level of danger. A large number of Wagner troops are former criminals, so the possibility of pillaging in Russia itself is entirely possible.
In a recent speech to the Russian media, Putin has given the impression that he is putting distance between himself and the conduct of the war. Prigozhin has made sure not to criticize Putin himself directly, but Putin’s reaction to the rebellion will be heard soon.
