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☆ Exclusive: US prepared ‘rigorously’ for potential Russian nuclear strike in Ukraine in late 2022, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Jim Sciutto | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Russian officials alleged Ukraine would build and detonate a dirty bomb against Russian forces and then blame the attack on Russia. Western intelligence agencies had received information that there were now communications among Russian officials explicitly discussing a nuclear strike. “It’s never a cut-and-dry, black-and-white assessment,” the first senior administration official told me. Secretary of State Antony Blinken communicated US concerns “very directly” with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, according to senior administration officials. “We conducted a number of quiet conversations with core allies to go through our thinking,” the first senior administration official told me.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Powers, “, ” “, Chris McGrath, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, “ It’s, NurPhoto, Antony Blinken, Sergey Lavrov, Mark Milley, General Valery Gerasimov, Joe Biden, Bill Burns, Sergey Naryshkin, Xi Jinping, Narendra Modi, Alexandr Demyanchuk, ”, … Organizations: CNN, US, National Security Council, Kherson City, “, UN, United Nations, Russian, Russian Armed Forces, CIA, Indian, Shanghai Cooperation Organization Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, “, Russian, Kherson, Ukrainian, France, Turkey, ”, Kyiv, India, China, Samarkand

☆ Russia's Shoigu, Gerasimov Meet Commanders of Troops Fighting in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff, held a meeting with the commanders of troops fighting in Ukraine, the defence ministry said on Thursday. It was not immediately clear where the meeting took place. The ministry broadcast footage of the meeting, at which Shoigu addressed the training of servicemen and volunteers in reserve units. He said he had inspected such regiments in Russia's southern military district on Thursday. (Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Alexander Marrow; Editing by Toby Chopra)

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Shoigu, Alexander Marrow, Toby Chopra Organizations: Russian Defence, Reuters Locations: MOSCOW, Ukraine

☆ Russia is making a 'very costly' tactical mistake that means its second line of defense will be easier to penetrate, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The first line has been hard to pass, but analysts say too many resources have been focused on it. A change in command likely means Russia's not utilizing the depths of its defenses, analysts say. Michael Kofman, a defense analyst and senior fellow at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told The Kyiv Independent that Ukraine was now working on breaching the second line. AdvertisementAdvertisementUkrainian generals say that the second line of defense will likely be far easier to break through, the Kyiv Independent reported. AdvertisementAdvertisementKofman told the paper that while Surovikin wanted a classic positional defense, Gerasimov preferred an active defense, including regular counterattacks, Kofman said.

Persons: Michael Kofman, Kofman, Viktor Kivliuk, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, General Valery Gerasimov, Gerasimov Organizations: Service, Kyiv Independent, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Center, Defense Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Russian

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Moscow, North Korea 'actively advancing' arms deal; Russian general appears to resurface for first time since Wagner mutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Sergei Surovikin, the former commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, seen here in 2021. A photo has emerged online that appears to show Russian General Sergei Surovikin, a top military figure who was regarded as an ally of Yevgeny Prigozhin, alive and in public. The rebellion was seen as the culmination of a long-running dispute between Prigozhin and Russia's defense ministry. "General Sergei Surovikin is out. The general was reportedly arrested in June and then dismissed as the head of Russia's Aerospace Forces in August, according to the Moscow Times.

Persons: Sergei Surovikin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Surovikin, Prigozhin's, Prigozhin, Wagner, Ksenia Sobchak, Sobchak, Valery Gerasimov, Holly Ellyatt Organizations: Wagner Group, NBC News, Russia's Aerospace Forces, Moscow Times, New York Times, Kremlin, Putin Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Prigozhin

☆ Russia's 'General Armageddon' seen in first photo since Wagner mutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view shows a couple appearing to be Russian General Sergei Surovikin and his wife Anna at an unknown location, in this undated photo published September 4, 2023. "General Sergei Surovikin is out. A second report, published by prominent independent Russian journalist Alexei Venediktov on his Telegram channel, said: "General Surovikin is at home with his family. Surovikin, who gained the nickname "General Armageddon" during Russia's military intervention in Syria's civil war, was briefly in charge of Moscow's war effort in Ukraine before that role was handed in January to General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff. Surovikin was widely viewed by Russian war commentators as a forceful and capable figure.

Persons: Sergei Surovikin, Anna, Wagner, Ksenia Sobchak, Alexei Venediktov, Surovikin, Venediktov, RIA, Viktor Afzalov, Valery Gerasimov, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Mark Trevelyan, Nick Macfie, Ron Popeski, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Ostorozhno Media, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Reuters, Defence Ministry, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russian, Kremlin, Ukraine

General Sergei Surovikin, commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, visits the Joint Headquarters of the Russian armed forces involved in military operations in Ukraine, in an unknown location in Russia, in this picture released December 17, 2022. His reported removal suggests the authorities found fault with his behaviour, but the details of his alleged wrongdoing remain unknown. Surovikin earned the nickname "General Armageddon" during Russia's military intervention in Syria for the brutal tactics he employed there. He was placed in charge of Russian military operations in Ukraine last October, but in January that role was handed to General Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the general staff, and Surovikin was made a deputy to Gerasimov. Afzalov was previously deputy to Surovikin and has been chief of staff of the Aerospace Forces for at least four years, according to British military intelligence.

Persons: Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Russian Air and Space Forces Sergei Surovikin, Viktor Afzalov, General Valery Gerasimov, Afzalov, Andrew Osborn, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS, RBC, Telegram, Ministry of Defence, Russian Air and Space Forces, Main Staff of, Air Force, Reuters, Aerospace Forces, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Kremlin, MOSCOW, Moscow, Syria, Gerasimov, Surovikin

☆ Russian defence minister Shoigu visits troops in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu inspects a Swedish CV-90 infantry fighting vehicle, that was abandoned by Ukrainian soldiers after being hit by a hand-held anti-tank grenade, at the frontline headquarters of the "Centre" army group involved in Russia-Ukraine conflict, at an unknown... Read moreAug 4 (Reuters) - Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu has visited the frontline headquarters of the "Centre" army group involved in the Ukrainian conflict, Russian news agencies cited the defence ministry as saying on Friday. Shoigu was briefed by a group commander and thanked officers and troops for "conducting successful operations" near Lyman, Interfax reported. The report was in line with Russian efforts to play down the effectiveness of weapons and equipment that NATO members and other Western countries have supplied to Ukraine. Shoigu's trip came days after a visit to the front line by General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff and overall commander of Russia's war effort in Ukraine. Reporting by Reuters; editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Read, Shoigu, General Valery Gerasimov, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Robert Birsel Organizations: Russian Defence, NATO, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Swedish, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Lyman, Shoigu's

☆ Russia's military leaders are at each other's throats at a crucial time in the Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russian military leaders are at each other's throats amid continued losses in the Ukraine war. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has been accused of treason by a general in the Russian military claiming he was fired for raising concerns. But at this critical juncture in the war and while Russia's army continues facing losses, Russian military leaders appear to have more pressing targets in mind: each other. But even after Prigozhin all but disappeared following the Wagner revolt, concerns about Russia's military leadership persist. Popov claimed he was removed from his post after flagging issues that Russian forces were facing on the front lines in Ukraine.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Putin, Prigozhin, Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Ivan Popov, Popov, Andrey Gurulyov, vilely, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Andrei Kartapolov, Gerasimov, Gen, Viktor Afzalov Organizations: Defense, Service, Russian, Wagner, Bakhmut, Politico, Arms Army, Street Journal, Prigozhin, The New York Times, Times, Russian Aerospace Forces Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Russian, Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia, Syria

☆ Factbox: General Gerasimov, Russia's top soldier, appears for first time since Wagner mutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Here are some facts about Gerasimov:AS CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF* Gerasimov, now 67, is the third most powerful man in the Russian military after President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu. UKRAINE* Gerasimov played key roles in Russia's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and in Russia's game-changing military support for President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian Civil War. * In January, Putin appointed Gerasimov to lead the Ukraine campaign, and made Army General Sergei Surovikin, appointed to the role three months earlier, one of his three deputies. read more* Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the mercenary Wagner Group, fiercely criticised Gerasimov and Shoigu and staged a short-lived mutiny on June 23-24 to demand their dismissal. He graduated from the Kazan Higher Tank Command in 1977, from the Malinovsky Military Armoured Forces Academy in 1987, and from the Military Academy of the General Staff another decade later.

Persons: Valery Gerasimov, Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Putin, Shoigu, Gerasimov, Bashar al, Assad, Sergei Surovikin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Guy Faulconbridge, Gareth Jones, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Aemy, AS, Defence, Zvezda, Wagner Group, Kazan Higher Tank Command, Malinovsky Military Armoured Forces Academy, Military Academy of, General Staff, Leningrad Military District, Moscow Military District, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, UKRAINE, Crimea, Ukraine, Syrian, Russia, Kazan, Leningrad, Moscow

☆ Exclusive: Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's secret calendar reveals a decade of deep Kremlin ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

A copy of Prigozhin's calendar obtained by Die Welt and shared with Insider shows just how deeply enmeshed he was with the Putin regime. Putin's name appears in Prigozhin's calendar only twice, and neither entry records a one-on-one meeting. Wagner employees typically identify themselves and sign documents using three or four-digit employee numbers, and most Prigozhin's meetings with Wagner Group employees are presented this way. These rows of data extracted from Yevgeny Prigozhin's private calendar show Wagner Group personnel identified solely by their employee numbers. In the end, his demands for a slot on Putin's calendar went unanswered.

Persons: Putin, Prigozhin, Aleksey Dyumin, Putin's, —, Vladimir Putin, It's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner — Sergei Surovikin, Ukraine —, Wagner, Dmitry Peskov, Sergei Shoigu, Ruslan Tsalikov, Anton Vaino, Valery Gerasimov, Shoigu, Sergei Surovikin, Matveev, Dmitry Medvedev, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Walt Hickey, Mattathias Schwartz Organizations: Die Welt, Service, Russian Federation, Wagner Group, Insider, Putin, Politico, Defense, Prigozhin, Anadolu Agency, Getty, CNN, Welt, Kremlin Locations: Tula, Moscow, Ukraine, West, Africa, St . Petersburg, New, Dyumin, Russia, Belarus, Prigozhin, Russian, Rostov, Germany, Korea

☆ There's blood in the water after Prigozhin's revolt shattered the façade of Putin's invincibility
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Jason Corcoran | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

It represented the most significant affront to President Vladimir Putin's 23-year reign. It has also fed paranoia and put a spotlight on Aleksey Dyumin, Putin's ex-bodyguard turned governor. A brief and ultimately aborted attempt at a coup d'état by Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin represented the most significant affront to President Vladimir Putin's 23-year reign. President Vladimir Putin (L) and Aleksey Dyumin, the governor of Tula and Putin's former personal bodyguard, in Moscow in 2016. Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Tula Governor Aleksey Dyumin visit Russian writer Lev Tolstoy's former home in 2016.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Aleksey Dyumin, Putin's, —, Vladimir Putin —, Prigozhin, Vladimir Fesenko, trundling, Sergey Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, There's Prigozhin, Wagner, Putin, Belarus —, defenestration, Dyumin, Shoigu, Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Svetlov, Igor Girkin, Alexander Lukashenko —, Dyumin's, Dmitry Peskov, Boris Yeltsin, Viktor Yanukoyvch, Girkin, Andrei Gurulyov, Russia's, Lev Tolstoy's, Tatiana Stanovaya, Alexandra Prokopenko, Prokopenko, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Viktor Zolotov, Zolotov, Alexander Lukashenko, Chris Weafer Organizations: Service, Kremlin, Kommersant, Angry Patriots, Russia's First Channel, Prigozhin, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Central Bank, Washington Post, New York Times, Defense Ministry, Moscow Times, National Guard, Ministry, Macro Locations: Russian, Russia, Rostov, Ukraine, Moscow, Voronezh, Lipetsk, St, Petersburg, Minsk, Belarus, Russia's Tula, Kremlin, Tula, Dyumin's Tula, St Petersburg, Prigozhin, Crimea, Berlin, Novosibirsk, Osipovichi, Africa, Syria

The commander of the Russian air force Sergey Surovikin and the Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin have not been seen in public in days as questions swirl about the role Surovikin may have played in Prigozhin’s short-lived mutiny. The Russian air force commander Sergey Surovikin (left) and the Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin APWhy is everyone talking about Surovikin? Prigozhin meanwhile, played the central role in the short-lived insurrection – it was he who ordered Wagner troops to take over two military bases and then march on Moscow. Putin assembled Russian security personnel in Moscow Tuesday, telling them they “virtually stopped a civil war” in responding to the insurrection. Prigozhin was last spotted leaving the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don Saturday, after abruptly calling off his troops’ march on Moscow.

Persons: Sergey Surovikin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Surovikin, “ Surovikin, ”, Alexey Venediktov –, –, Sergey Markov, Surovikin’s, “, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Don Saturday, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Peskov, ” Peskov, Mikhail Gorbachev, , Joe Biden, Josep Borrell Organizations: CNN, Moscow Times, Russian Telegram, Baza, Yevgeny Prigozhin AP, New York Times, PMC Wagner, Russian Ministry of Defense, Kremlin, Street, Belarusian, General Staff, Defense, Ministry, Washington DC, Jamestown Foundation, Russian Aerospace Forces, Human Rights Watch, Union’s, Foreign Affairs Locations: Kremlin, Russian, Moscow, Rostov, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Minsk, St . Petersburg, Ukraine’s, Afghanistan, Syria, Idlib, ”, Brussels, Dagestan, Derbent

☆ Where are Russian generals Gerasimov and Surovikin after Wagner rebellion?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Absent from view too is General Sergei Surovikin, nicknamed "General Armageddon" by the Russian press for his aggressive tactics in the Syrian conflict, who is deputy commander of Russian forces in Ukraine. Rybar, an influential channel on the Telegram messaging application run by a former Russian defence ministry press officer, said a purge was underway. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chief of the General Staff of Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov attend an annual meeting of the Defence Ministry Board in Moscow, Russia, December 21, 2022. Dara Massicot, an expert in the Russian military at the RAND Corporation think-tank, said that something looked odd about the video, in which Surovikin has an automatic weapon on his lap. "Surovikin (is) a brute but also one of the more capable Russian commanders," Freedman said on Twitter.

Persons: Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Vladimir Putin, Valery Gerasimov, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Gerasimov, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Dmitry Peskov, Wagner, Rybar, Staff of Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, Mikhail Kuravlev, Prigozhin, Michael Kofman, Viktor Zolotov, Shoigu, Dara Massicot, He’s, he’s, Alexei Venediktov, vilifying Shoigu, Lawrence Freedman, Freedman, Andrew Osborn, Mike Collett, White, Lisa Shumaker, Angus MacSwan, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: New York Times, Wednesday, Staff, Reuters, Moscow Times, Staff of Russian Armed Forces, Defence Ministry Board, Sputnik, REUTERS, Carnegie Endowment, Twitter, National Guard, Moscow, Tuesday, RAND Corporation, Western, King's College London, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Surovikin, Russia, Russian, Moscow, Ukrainian, Kremlin, Moscow's, Lefortovo, Chechnya, Syria

☆ Prigozhin rushed his Wagner mutiny because he knew Putin was on to him, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin had to accelerate the timeline of his mutiny, the WSJ reported. Russia's intelligence unit, otherwise known as Federal Security Service (FSB), became aware of Prigozhin's mutiny plans around 48 hours before it took place, which could in part explain its failure, the report said. The feud escalated dramatically several weeks before the failed rebellion when Shoigu announced that Wagner soldiers would have to sign contracts with his ministry. Prigozhin had initially thought that Russian soldiers would turn on their commanders and join the mutiny, The Wall Street Journal said. Western intelligence agencies were also informed about Prigozhin's plans by looking at satellite imagery and electronic communications intercepts, the report said.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, —, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, General Valery Gerasimov, Shoigu, Viktor Zolotov, Putin, Zolotov Organizations: Service, Street, Federal Security Service, Defence, Street Journal, National Guard of Locations: Russian, Rostov, Voronezh, Moscow, Belarus, Ukraine, National Guard of Russia

☆ WSJ: Wagner boss planned to capture top Russian defense chiefs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin planned to seize two of Russia top military officials when he launched a short-lived mutiny on Saturday, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing Western officials. Prigozhin’s plot involved the capture of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and top army general Valery Gerasimov when the pair visited a region along the border of Ukraine, the WSJ wrote. Wagner mercenaries took control of a key military base in the city of Rostov-on-Don, and his troops were approaching the Russian capital when Prigozhin called off his mutiny. There has been speculation about the role of senor Russian commanders as the mutiny got underway on Friday night. Viktor Zolotov, the director of Russia’s National Guard, claimed Monday that senior Russian officials knew of Prigozhin’s plans for a rebellion because people close to the Wagner boss had leaked them, Russian state media agency TASS reported.

Persons: CNN — Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Prigozhin, Wagner, senor, Sergey Surovikin, “, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, ” Surovikin, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Prigozhin’s, –, Viktor Zolotov, Zolotov, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko Organizations: CNN, Wall Street, Western, Federal Security Service, New York Times, Russia’s National Guard, TASS, British, NATO, Russian Ministry of Defense Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Rostov, Prigozhin, Russian, Belarus

☆ Putin is facing an unprecedented armed rebellion led by Russia's Wagner Group leader. These are the 7 key players in the crisis.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Yevgeny PrigozhinWagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. Mikhail Svetlov/Getty ImagesYevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian tycoon with ties to Putin, has risen as a key player in the conflict because of his role as founder of the mercenary Wagner Group. Prior to the war in Ukraine, it had been widely seen as a de-facto private military service for the Kremlin. He has criticized them by name for not supporting his fighters with what he believed to be the required amount of weaponry and kicked up a fuss over who should take credit for Russian war victories. The feud has also led to speculation that Prigozhin could have political ambitions of his own, which he has denied.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Mikhail Svetlov, Putin, Wagner, Prigozhin, firebrand Wagner, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov Organizations: Yevgeny Prigozhin Wagner Group, Wagner Group, Kremlin Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Bakhmut, Russia

CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin is facing the greatest threat to his authority in two decades after Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner paramilitary group and Putin’s former ally, launched an apparent insurrection. Prigozhin has been highly critical of Russia’s military leadership and their handling of the war in Ukraine, but he had always stopped short of criticizing Putin directly. Wagner group also claimed to have seized Russian facilities in a second city, Voronezh, some 600 kilometers (372 miles) to the north of Rostov-on-Don. Alexander Gusev, the governor of the Voronezh region, said the Russian military was engaging in “combat measures” in the area. Stunning escalationSaturday’s dramatic events come off the back of Prigozhin’s very public and months-long feud with Russia’s military leadership.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Prigozhin, Putin, ” Putin, Igor Artamonov, Sergei Sobyanin, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, “, ”, Don “, ” “, ” Prigozhin, Rostov, Don, Alexander Gusev, Shoigu, –, Gen, Vladimir Alekseev, Sergei Naryshkin, Naryshkin, Ramzan Kadyrov, Vladimir Rogov, Rogov saif, ” Wagner, Stringer, Dmytro Kuleba, Serhii Cherevatyi Organizations: CNN, Prigozhin, Moscow, Terrorism, Security, Russian, RIA Novosti, Kremlin, Russian Southern Military Headquarters, Ministry of Defense, Russian Ministry of Defense, Foreign Intelligence Service, Russian Historical Society, Telegram, Southern Military District, Reuters, Russian Foreign, European Union, US State Department, Britain’s Ministry of Defense, Russian National Guard, Ukrainian, Twitter, Ukrainian Armed Forces Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, Rostov, Voronezh, Lipetsk, Russia, St . Petersburg, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Prigozhin’s, Prigozhin, Don, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, EU

☆ Putin's clashing warlords are on the verge of full-blown violence that could weaken his grip on power
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The ongoing feud between Putin's warlords came to the brink of violence on Friday. Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin went on a tirade against the Defense Ministry, prompting calls for his arrest. "The evil carried by the country's military leadership must be stopped," Prigozhin said, adding that his 25,0000 mercenaries were ready to stand against Russia's Defense Ministry. Insider's Ryan Pickrell previously reported that Putin plays Prigozhin and the Defense Ministry against each other, escalating tensions between those factions and attempting to deflect blame off himself. Prior to his tirades Friday, Prigozhin was bashing Russia's Defense Ministry for months, especially targeting Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Chief of the Russian General Staff General Valery Gerasimov.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, —, Vladimir Putin, Putin's, Prigozhin, Putin, It's, Insider's Ryan Pickrell, Simon Miles, Tatiana Stanovaya, Sergey Shoigu, Russian General Staff General Valery Gerasimov Organizations: Defense Ministry, Service, Titan, Russia's Ministry of Defense, Wagner Group, Russia's Defense, Russia's Defense Ministry, KGB, Kremlin, Wagner, Meduza, Duke University's Sanford School of Public, Soviet Union, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Russia's, Ministry, Russian, Russian General Staff Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Soviet, Russian

☆ The war in Ukraine has led to infighting among Russia's most influential players. These are the 7 people you need to know.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Yevgeny PrigozhinWagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. Prior to the war in Ukraine, it had been widely seen as a de-facto private military service for the Kremlin. He has criticized them by name for not supporting his fighters with what he believed to be the required amount of weaponry and kicked up a fuss over who should take credit for Russian war victories. He has also spoken scathingly about Russia's elite for protecting their children from being drafted into the war — and he even made a rare dig at Putin. The feud has also led to speculation that Prigozhin could have political ambitions of his own, which he has denied.

☆ Kyiv warns against loose talk as Russia claims to repel a Ukrainian ‘large-scale’ offensive attack in Donetsk
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Nathan Hodge Sebastian Shukla Olga Voitovych Sana Noor Haq | Nathan Hodge | Sebastian Shukla | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Monday’s announcement from the Russian side was no exception: The Russian military claimed in a statement to have killed 250 Ukrainians and destroyed armored vehicles used in the assault, but provided scant evidence. A spokesperson for the Ukraine Armed Forces, Bohdan Senyk, told CNN that Ukraine does “not have information” on a purported “large-scale offensive” in Donetsk. Gerasimov, who is chief of Russia’s General Staff, was put in overall command of Russian military operations in Ukraine early this year. Ukrainian troops are pictured near the town of Avdiivka in Donetsk on May 31, 2023. He claimed that Ukrainian troops have increased the intensity of their shelling, and fired Storm Shadow missiles.

Persons: Bohdan Senyk, “, ”, Valery Gerasimov “, Gerasimov, Wagner, Viacheslav Ratynskyi, Zelensky, Sean Gallup, Zaporizhzhia, Vladimir Rogov, ” Rogov, Muhammed Enes, Hanna Maliar, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Zelensky, Jake Sullivan –, Joe Biden’s, –, Washington, ” Sullivan, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria Organizations: CNN, Russian Defense Ministry, Russian, Ukraine Armed Forces, Russia’s, Staff, Reuters, Getty, Novosti, Storm, Anadolu Agency, Wall Street, Kyiv Locations: Ukrainian, Donetsk, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Avdiivka, Russian, Azov, “

☆ Putin is still too reliant on Prigozhin's 'meat army' to punish the mercenary leader for his public defiance: reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The minor victory comes as Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin continues to publicly slam Russia's military. The Wagner-won victory in the strategically-unimportant city complicates Russian President Vladimir Putin's likely response to Prigozhin's exceedingly defiant and chaotic attitude. And yet Prigozhin continues to play an important role in the war, even after taking a veiled barb at the Russian president, himself, earlier this month. In a rare moment of recognition, Putin even directly congratulated the Wagner Group following their alleged seizure of Bakhmut. Prigozhin said Saturday he would pull his Wagner troops from Bakhmut come Thursday, where they would reorganize and undergo additional training.

☆ 'Loud mouth' Prigozhin's public feuding with Russia's military leaders is an effort to blame the Kremlin for Wagner's failures in Bakhmut, military expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Yevgeny Prigozhin and Russia's military brass have been locked in a public feud for monthsMeanwhile, Prigozhin's Wagner Group troops have sustained significant losses in Bakhmut. For months, Wagner troops have borne the brunt of the attritional fighting in Bakhmut as the frontlines grinded to a brutal stalemate. The White House in February said Wagner troops had suffered 30,000 casualties since the war began in February 2022. A mural depicting mercenaries of Russia's Wagner Group that reads: "Wagner Group - Russian knights." "I think they probably hate [Prigozhin] because he's such a loud mouth," Hodges said of Russia's defense leaders.

☆ Wagner group signals it will stay in Bakhmut after threat to quit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

However in an audio message posted on his Telegram channel on Sunday, Prigozhin said: "Overnight we received a combat order, for the first time in all this time." "We have been promised as much ammunition and weapons as we need to continue further operations. Prigozhin also said on Sunday that Russia's Defence Ministry had assigned General Sergei Surovikin to work alongside Wagner. "This is the only man with the star of an army general who knows how to fight," he added. Surovikin commanded Russia's Ukraine campaign for several months before the chief of the General Staff, Army Army General Valery Gerasimov, was given overall operational command above him.

☆ Wagner chief said his troops are no longer withdrawing from Bakhmut after being promised as many artillery shells as they need
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The leader of the Wagner fighters said they would not retreat from Bakhmut after being promised ammo. Wagner Group fighters have played a key role in bloody fighting in the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine for months. Concord Press Service/via REUTERSThe outspoken Prigozhin and Russia's military leaders have been feuding for months. Recent leaked Pentagon documents shared by National Guard airman Jack Teixeira revealed analysis suggesting Russia's military leadership has struggled to deal with Prigozhin. The Wagner Group had become a major power player in the war, scoring some publicized wins in Ukraine when Russia's invasion was floundering.

☆ Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin launched a screaming, expletive-filled tirade at Putin's war chiefs as he stood next to dozens of his mens' corpses in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin went ballistic on the Kremlin in an expletive-laden video on Thursday. He lashed out at Russia's defense minister and a top general, blaming them for a lack of ammo. He swore at least nine times in the video, though his press service censored the expletives. In 2022, the Wagner Group drew scandal for recruiting Russian convicts to fight in Ukraine, promising the prisoners their freedom. Russia's defense ministry press service did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment sent outside regular business hours.

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