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☆ Russia's Putin meets military top brass to discuss Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Russia's President Vladimir Putin speaks with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu as he visits the headquarters of the troops involved in the country's military campaign in Ukraine, in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, in this picture released November 10, 2023. Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Kremlin via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday discussed the war in Ukraine with his military top brass including Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and General Staff Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff. Pictures released by the Kremlin showed Putin at meeting with Shoigu, Gerasimov and General Sergei Rudskoy, head of the General Staff's Main Operational Directorate, at the southern military grouping's headquarters in Rostov. "The supreme commander in chief was shown new models of military equipment," the Kremlin said. Putin last month visited the military headquarters in Rostov, where Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin began a failed mutiny in June.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, General Staff Valery Gerasimov, Putin, Shoigu, Sergei Rudskoy, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, General Staff, Kremlin, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Rostov, Don, Russia, Kremlin, Gerasimov

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Chief of the Russian Armed Forces' General Staff Valery Gerasimov, via a video conference call at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow, Russia October 7, 2020. Sputnik/Alexei Druzhinin/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreLONDON, Oct 5 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia has successfully tested its new Burevestnik missile. - Its nuclear propulsion gives the missile much longer range than traditional turbojet or turbofan engines that are limited by how much fuel they can carry. - Development of the missile's nuclear propulsion unit has been a huge technical challenge, involving a number of test failures. - The Nuclear Threat Initiative said the Burevestnik's nuclear propulsion could enable it to stay aloft for days, if needed.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Alexei Druzhinin, Putin, Mark Trevelyan, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: Russian Armed Forces, Staff, Sputnik, International Institute for Strategic Studies, United States Air Force's National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Nuclear Threat Initiative, New York Times, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, United States, Washington

In one extraordinary video, he shouted and cursed at Shoigu and Gerasimov, demanding ammunition so his men could keep fighting as he stood in a field littered with the corpses of Wagner fighters. Prigozhin performed a U-turn and Wagner fought on, eventually capturing the city in late May. But a turning point came weeks later when he rejected an order for Wagner fighters to sign contracts placing them under the control of the defence ministry. Two weeks later, a video appeared to show Prigozhin welcoming his fighters to Belarus. Taking advantage of his political connections, Prigozhin was awarded major state contracts, becoming known as "Putin's chef" after catering for Kremlin events.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Marina Lystseva, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Prigozhin, Putin, Christo Grozev, Bellingcat, Donald Trump, Stanislav Belkovsky, Mark Trevelyan, Cynthia Osterman, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Marina, Defence, Staff, Kremlin, Financial Times, St, Thomson Locations: wreckages, Tver, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Rostov, Belarus, St Petersburg, Africa, St Petersburg's, U.S, Niger, Prigozhin

☆ A Russian general who was relieved of command in Ukraine died after 'a long illness,' official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Russian general has died after a "long illness," an official said in a Telegram post. Colonel General Gennady Zhidko was a senior officer heavily involved in attacking Ukraine. But after a series of humiliating defeats last year, Zhidko was removed from his post. Colonel General Gennady Zhidko, a former deputy defense minister, was leading Russian forces fighting in Ukraine from May 2022 to last autumn. Zhidko was eventually replaced by General Sergei Surovikin, who was then replaced by Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov in January this year.

Persons: Gennady Zhidko, Zhidko, Mikhail Degtyarev, Degtyarev, Mediazona —, Sergei Surovikin, Staff Valery Gerasimov Organizations: Service, Newsweek, Kremlin, Staff, West Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Moscow, Kharkiv, Khabarovsk Krai, London

Summary Prigozhin welcomes mercenaries to BelarusPrigozhin says the front is 'a disgrace'Mercenaries should prepare for AfricaIt's only just begun, top Wagner commander says'Welcome to hell!' The footage, reposted by his press service on Telegram, is the first video evidence of Prigozhin's whereabouts since the night of the mutiny. In the video, the authenticity of which Reuters could not immediately verify, a man whose voice and Russian sounded like Prigozhin's, is heard welcoming his men. It is also unclear what Wagner, which Prigozhin said had 25,000 men, would do next. The video posted on Wednesday showed Prigozhin receiving a Wagner black flag, decorated with the motto "Blood, honour, Motherland, Courage", from their camp in southern Russia.

Persons: Belarus Prigozhin, Wagner, Utkin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner's, Vladimir Putin's, Prigozhin, honourably, Putin, Dmitry Utkin, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn, Jon Boyle Organizations: West, Kremlin, Reuters, Islamic, Central African, Putin, Staff, Thomson Locations: Belarus, Africa, MOSCOW, Ukraine, Russian, Belarusian, Russia, Rostov, Dagestan, Minsk, Syria, Libya, Mali, Crimea, Central African Republic, Ukrainian, Bakhmut

☆ 'Chaos' is fueling fights among Putin's top commanders. These are the players battling for power.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

More than three weeks after the historic challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin's authority, there's still internal power plays and high-level purges in motion. "We are seeing a lot of military formations and military figures that are pushing for their own objectives." For example, in Kadyrov's case, he may be pushing for control to shield his fighters from the battlefield in Ukraine and send conventional Russian forces instead. Consequences for disobedienceInsubordination against Moscow's military leadership, such as Teplinsky's criticisms or the Wagner's rebellion, has undermined Russian military leaders but has also come with consequences for members of the anti-Gerasimov camp. The instability increasingly endemic to the Russian military comes as the Ukrainians try to break through their defensive lines.

Persons: Wagner Group's, Vladimir Putin's, Wagner, Putin, doesn't, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Alexander Ermochenko, he's, Stepanenko, Valery Gerasimov, Sergei Shoigu, Ramzan Kadyrov, Kadyrov, there's, Gerasimov, Vladimir Putin, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Alexei Nikolsky, Gen, Mikhail Teplinsky, Russia's, Teplinsky, Sergei Surovikin, There's, Friedemann Kohler, hasn't, Russia's Aerospace Forces Sergei Surovikin, Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, Staff Sergei Rudskoi, Mikhail Metzel, Ivan Popov, Vladimir Seliverstov, Popov, vilely, Viktor Zolotov, it's, ISW, Vyacheslav Gladkov Organizations: Service, Institute for, Wagner Group, Kremlin, Southern Military, REUTERS, Russian Ministry of Defense, Russian Armed Forces, Russian Defense, Russian, Staff, AP, Russia's VDV Airborne Forces, Getty, Russia's Aerospace Forces, Armed Forces, Sputnik, Arms Army, 106th Guards Airborne, Russian MoD, National Guard, Russian National Guard Service, PMC Wagner Group Locations: Russian, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Moscow, Prigozhin, Belarus, Rostov, Don, Russia's Belgorod, Sputnik, Washington, Chechnya, Sochi, REUTERS Maj, Belgorod

☆ China, Russia to start joint air and sea drill in Sea of Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Yew Lun Tian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Codenamed "Northern/Interaction-2023", the drill marks enhanced military cooperation between China and Russia since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and is taking place as Beijing continues to rebuff U.S. calls to resume military communication. On Saturday, the ministry said Russian naval and air forces would participate in the drill taking place in the Sea of Japan. This would be the first time both Russian forces take part in the drill, state newspaper Global Times cited military observers as saying. Gromkiy and Sovershenniy, two Russian warships taking part in the Sea of Japan drill, had earlier this month conducted separate training with the Chinese navy in Shanghai on formation movements, communication and sea rescues. Chinese military Chief of Joint Staff Liu Zhenli and Russia's top soldier, Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov made the same pledge during a video call in June.

Persons: Gromkiy, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Li Shangfu, Nikolai Yevmenov, Liu Zhenli, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Yew Lun, Jamie Freed Organizations: Russian, Global Times, China's, Staff, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Russian, Japan, China, Russia, Ukraine, Beijing, U.S, Qingdao, Shanghai, Taiwan, Taipei, Tokyo, United States

☆ Russian leadership suffers 'friction and confusion' since mutiny, US general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Idrees Ali | Thomson Reuters | National Security Correspondent Focusing On The Pentagon In Washington D.C. Reports On U.S. Military Activity | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"At the strategic level it is pretty clear that you have a significant amount of friction and confusion," General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a small group of reporters traveling with him in Asia. Milley said that lower-level Russian troops in Ukraine were likely more focused on the situation on the ground and surviving day to day. Since the mutiny, which posed the biggest domestic challenge to the Russian state in decades, President Vladimir Putin has so far kept Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov in their jobs. In the latest surprise, the Kremlin said this week that Putin met Prigozhin and his commanders just five days after the mutiny. Lukashenko first announced Prigozhin was in Belarus, then said last week that he was back in Russia.

Persons: Wagner, Stringer, group's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin, Mark Milley, Milley, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Putin, Lukashenko, Idrees Ali, Peter Graff Organizations: Southern Military District, REUTERS, U.S, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Staff, Thomson Locations: Rostov, Don, Russia, Ukraine, United States, Moscow, Asia, Russian, decamp, Belarus

Summary Russian general says has been dismissedSays top brass betrayed Russian soldiersDefence ministry silent on general's fateSoldiers dying due to lack of artillery, general saysMOSCOW, July 13 (Reuters) - A Russian general said he had been dismissed as a commander after telling the military leadership about the dire situation at the front in Ukraine where he said Russian soldiers had been stabbed in the back by the failings of the top military brass. Popov, who commanded Russian units in southern Ukraine, explicitly raised the deaths of Russian soldiers from Ukrainian artillery and said the army lacked proper counter artillery systems and reconnaissance of enemy artillery. There was no immediate comment from the defence ministry and Reuters was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the voice message. Neither Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin nor General Sergei Surovikin, a deputy commander of Russia's military operations in Ukraine, have been seen in public since the day of the mutiny. For months Prigozhin had been openly insulting Putin's most senior military men, using a variety of crude expletives and prison slang that shocked top Russian officials but that were left unanswered in public by Putin, Shoigu or Gerasimov.

Persons: Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Ivan Popov, Andrei Gurulyov, Popov, Gurulyov, Russia's, Prigozhin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Sergei Surovikin, Putin, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Russian, Defence, Staff, Arms Army, Reuters, RUSSIAN ARMY Putin, Telegram, Gerasimov, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Ukraine, Russian, Ukrainian, Europe, Russia

☆ Top Russian general not seen since mutiny is 'resting', lawmaker says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 12 (Reuters) - General Sergei Surovikin, a deputy commander of Russia's military operations in Ukraine who has not been seen in public since last month's armed mutiny by mercenary fighters, is "resting", a lawmaker from the ruling party said on Wednesday. Andrei Kartapolov, head of the State Duma Defence Committee, is heard saying in a video posted on social media: "Surovikin is currently resting. Surovikin, dubbed "General Armageddon" by the Russian press for his aggressive tactics in the Syria conflict, was last seen publicly when he issued a video appeal urging a halt to the June 23-24 mutiny by fighters of Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner mercenary group while it was still underway. A New York Times report based on a U.S. intelligence briefing said last month that Surovikin had advance knowledge of the mutiny and that Russian authorities were checking whether he was complicit. Reporting by Reuters, writing by Mark Trevelyan Editing by Gareth JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sergei Surovikin, Andrei Kartapolov, Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner, Surovikin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Vladimir Putin, Mark Trevelyan, Gareth Jones Organizations: State Duma Defence Committee, Staff, New York Times, Kremlin, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Syria

☆ Putin 'can't afford to lose' Wagner boss Prigozhin because he's so crucial to Russia's global power, says retired US general
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Putin didn't punish Wagner boss for his uprising as he needs his fighters, a retired US general told CNN. Hertling also said the meeting between Putin and Prigozhin was likely "an attempt to get [Prigozhin] back on board." But he noted that there is "confusion," with the Wagner Group "being dispersed and, in fact, sort of broken up." The Wagner uprising came after months of public feuding between Prigozhin and Russian military officials, including Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and the Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov. After the group's mini mutiny, Wagner fighters in Russia were given the choice of going into exile in neighboring Belarus, joining Russia's traditional army, or going home.

Persons: Putin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Mark Hertling, Vladimir Putin, Prigozhin, Hertling, that's, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, It's, Wagner fighters Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Service, Wagner, Russian Defence, Russian, Staff, Moscow Times Locations: Moscow, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Belarus, Syria, Africa, Russia

☆ A former Wagner fighter described Prigozhin as a 'cocky idiot' who pitted soldiers against each other for personal gain
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Some Wagner fighters have condemned Yevgeny Prigozhin for leading the armed revolt against Russia. One fighter, identified only as Roman, told the Moscow Times that Prigozhin is a "cocky idiot." He blamed the mercenary leader for pitting soldiers against each other for personal reasons. "My comrades and I fought for the country, not for some cocky idiot and his personal ambitions," Roman told the Moscow Times, referring to the infighting between Prigozhin and Russian military leaders that preceded the attempted rebellion. Another former Wagner fighter, identified only as Vlad, told the Moscow Times that he signed up for Wagner to "defend his country" and not "out of sympathy for Prigozhin."

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Roman, Vlad, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov Organizations: Russia, Moscow Times, Service, Wagner PMC, Prigozhin, Russian Defence, Russian, Staff Locations: Wall, Silicon, Moscow, Rostov, Belarus, Prigozhin, Bakhmut, Russian, Russia, Ukraine, St . Petersburg

MOSCOW, July 10 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin has held Kremlin talks with Wagner mercenary group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin and his commanders to discuss the armed mutiny Wagner attempted to mount against the army's top brass, Putin's spokesman said on Monday. The meeting was first reported by French newspaper Liberation, which said Prigozhin had met Putin and the head of the National Guard, Viktor Zolotov, and SVR Foreign Intelligence boss Sergei Naryshkin. Peskov told reporters that Putin had invited 35 people to the meeting, including Prigozhin and Wagner unit commanders, and that the meeting had lasted three hours. The brief mutiny led by Prigozhin, in which Wagner fighters took control of the southern city of Rostov-on-Don and a military headquarters building, was defused in a deal brokered by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko. Prigozhin was meant to leave for Belarus under the terms of the deal that ended the mutiny.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Putin, Viktor Zolotov, Sergei Naryshkin, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Alexander Lukashenko, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Lukashenko, Andrew Osborn, Mark Trevelyan, Caleb Davis Organizations: French, Liberation, National Guard, SVR Foreign Intelligence, Staff, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Ukraine, Rostov, Russia, Belarus, Moscow, London, Gdansk

☆ Exclusive: Wagner fighters neared Russian nuclear base during revolt
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +20 min

Reuters GraphicsOnce the Wagner fighters reach more rural regions, the surveillance trail goes cold – about 100 km from the nuclear base, Voronezh-45. But in an exclusive interview, Ukraine's head of military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, said that the Wagner fighters went far further. The only barrier between the Wagner fighters and nuclear weapons, Budanov said, were the doors to the nuclear storage facility. It is one of Russia's 12 "national-level storage facilities" for nuclear weapons, according to a report by U.N. scientists. Another female resident also said Wagner had widespread support in the town, and that many Wagner fighters are from Boguchar.

Persons: Wagner, Ukraine's, Kyrylo Budanov, Budanov, Alexander Lukashenko, Adam Hodge, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Matt Korda, Vladimir Putin's, Hans Kristensen, David Jonas, Amy Woolf, Jonas, Prigozhin, Dmitry Utkin, Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Shoigu, Oleksiy Danilov, Don, Anna Sandrakova, Maxim Yantsov, Mikhail Vedernikov, Talovaya, Alexei Yablokov, Kristensen, Alexsandr Lukashenko, Dmitry Peskov, Lukashenko, he's, Mari Saito, Tom Balmforth, John Shiffman, Phil Stewart, Polina, Maria Tsvetkova, Anton Zverev, Christian Lowe, David Gauthier, Stephen Grey, Reade Levinson, Eleanor Whalley, Milan Pavicic, Daria Shamonova, Janet McBride Organizations: Reuters, Kremlin, Belarusian, U.S, White, National Security, Nuclear, Federation of American, Federation of American Scientists, U.S . National Nuclear Security Administration, Library, Congress, Wagner, State, Staff, Russian, Defence Ministry, Defence Council, Main, Russian Defence, U.S . Congress, Telegram, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russian, Voronezh, United States, Ukraine, Russia, Rostov, Talovaya, Soviet, Washington, dabble, Syria, Libya, Mali, ., Pavlovsk, Elizavetovka, Vorontsovka, Buturlinovka, Talovaya district, Pskov, Soviet Union, Belarus, Minsk, he's, St Petersburg, Kyiv, London, New York, Paris, Villars, Istanbul, Gdansk

Summary Gerasimov shown in public on state TVHad not been seen in public since early JunePutin keeps Gerasimov in his jobGerasimov shown giving ordersWhereabouts of Surovikin still unclearMOSCOW, July 10 (Reuters) - Russia's most senior general, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, was shown ordering subordinates to destroy Ukrainian missile sites in a video released on Monday, his first appearance in public since a failed June 24 mercenary mutiny. It described him as chief of the general staff of Russia's armed forces and commander of Moscow's forces in Ukraine, the positions he held before the mutiny. In the video, Gerasimov was shown asking for and listening to a report by Viktor Afzalov, deputy to General Sergei Surovikin in the aerospace forces, who has not been since in public since the mutiny. It was unclear where Surovikin, who before the rebellion was deputy commander of Russia's forces in Ukraine and who was repeatedly praised by Prigozhin, was. "We note that the aerospace forces have coped with the task," Gerasimov was shown as saying.

Persons: Putin, Surovikin, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Gerasimov, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Viktor Afzalov, Sergei Surovikin, Prigozhin, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn, Toby Chopra, Alex Richardson Organizations: Staff, Defence, Kremlin, Afzalov, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Ukrainian, Crimea, Moscow, Ukraine, Rostov, Kaluga, Russia, Russian

☆ Russian defence minister Shoigu shown inspecting troops
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, July 8 (Reuters) - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has inspected troops and overseen training of newly formed units made up of contracted servicemen, his ministry said on Saturday. The ministry released video footage on its Telegram channel showing Shoigu in khaki military fatigues inspecting soldiers at a shooting range, in his first public appearance with troops since last month's aborted mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group. The ministry did not say when the video was filmed or when the inspection took place. Shoigu said on Monday that the mutiny did not affect Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine. "The Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation personally checked the training of contract servicemen in combat operations in various conditions, including urban combat," the defence ministry said on Saturday.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Wagner, Shoigu, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Valery Gerasimov, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Soldatkin, Alexander Smith Organizations: Russian Defence, Moscow, Kremlin, Defence, Russian Federation, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Ukraine, Russian, Rostov

☆ China hosts Russian warships that passed by Taiwan, Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, July 6 (Reuters) - China hosted two Russian warships that had earlier sailed past Taiwan and Japan, and the vessels are expected to hold a joint drill with the Chinese navy during their visit, demonstrating the enduring military cooperation between the two countries. The two frigates - Gromkiy and Sovershenniy - made port at the financial hub of Shanghai on Wednesday, Chinese state television reported. The same ships, which belong to the Pacific fleet of the Russian Navy, passed through waters near democratically governed Taiwan at the end of June. China and Russia have pledged stronger military ties, and on Monday, China's Defence Minister Li Shangfu met with the head of the Russian navy, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, in Beijing. Gerasimov was quoted by Tass news agency as saying that the two sides will continue to expand their military cooperation.

Persons: Xi Jingping's, Vladimir Putin, Li Shangfu, Nikolai Yevmenov, Commission Liu Zhenli, Valery Gerasimov, Gerasimov, Albee Zhang, Ella Cao, Ryan Woo, Ben Blanchard, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Fleet, Pacific, Russian Navy, NATO, China's, Commission, Tass, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Taiwan, Japan, Shanghai, Vladivostok, Okinawa, U.S, Moscow, Washington, Asia, Pacific, Russia, Russian, Beijing

☆ Wagner's chaotic attempt at armed rebellion is starting to (kind of) make sense
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Kieran Corcoran | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Wagner's aborted rebellion in Russia over the weekend was a chaotic mess that ultimately failed. That's the question anybody following the chaotic attempt by the Wagner mercenary group to stage a rebellion in Russia last weekend probably asked themselves. Prigozhin bailed on his plan, sent everyone home, and headed off to some kind of retirement in Belarus. The soldiers wouldn't need to look far for a motive: widespread hatred for defense minister Sergei Shoigu and army chief of staff Valery Gerasimov. Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov (L) and Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in late 2022.

Persons: Wagner's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, —, Wagner, Alexander Lukashenko, Associated Press Lukashenko, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Mikhail Metzel, Sergei Surovikin —, Gerasimov —, Surovikin, Putin Organizations: Service, Prigozhin Press, Associated Press, The New York Times, Times, Russian, Staff, Russian Defence, Sputnik, The Times, Shoigu, Street Locations: Russia, Rostov, Moscow, Russian, Belarus, Ukraine

☆ Senior Russian general knew about Prigozhin's plans - New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The New York Times reported that American officials also said there were signs that other Russian generals also may have supported Prigozhin. The Kremlin and the Russian defence ministry also did not immediately reply to Reuters' queries. Surovikin, nicknamed "General Armageddon" by the Russian media, had been put in overall charge of Ukraine operations in October. But in January Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu appointed Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov to oversee the campaign, with Surovikin staying on as his deputy. Having set off from the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don over the weekend, Prigozhin aborted the march within 200 kilometres (125 miles) of Moscow.

Persons: Sergey Surovikin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Surovikin, Don, Lidia Kelly, Eric Beech, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: New York Times, Reuters, Pentagon, Russian, Staff, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Belarus, Rostov, Moscow

☆ A top Russian general knew Wagner was planning an uprising, NYT reports, suggesting an even deeper threat to Putin's power
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Russian general knew of Wagner was planning a rebellion against Putin, the NYT reported. Sergey Surovikin is a top commander in Russia's military, who led the invasion until he was demoted. Per the NYT, US officials want to know if others in the military considered joining the uprising. US officials are trying to find out whether General Sergey Surovikin — dubbed "General Armageddon" by Russian media — also helped plan the rebellion, according to The Times. Gerasimov and defense minister Sergei Shoigu are wildly unpopular among Russia's military.

Persons: Wagner, Putin, Sergey Surovikin, —, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Sergey Surovikin —, Vladimir Putin's, Prigozhin, General Staff Valery Gerasimov, Sergei Shoigu, Prigozhin's, Surovikin, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Service, New York Times, The Times, Times, General Staff, Russia's Ministry of Defense Locations: Russian, Moscow, Russia, Belarus, Russia's

☆ Rumors Grow That Top Russian General With Wagner Ties Was Arrested
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Russian general who knew of Wagner's uprising plans hasn't been seen in days. Gen. Surovikin knew Prigozhin was planning an uprising against Russian military leadership, NYT reported. Surovikin is a top commander in the Ukraine war and rumors grew he may have been arrested. A Russian military blogger also claimed that Surovikin had been arrested, and taken to a notorious prison. Wagner's insurrection posed a dire threat to Putin and the Russian Ministry of Defense's leadership, although ending in retreat and a murky peace deal between Prigozhin and Russian leadership.

Persons: hasn't, Surovikin, Prigozhin, —, Wagner, Sergey Surovikin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin wouldn't, Vladimir Putin, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Putin Organizations: Russian, Service, The New York Times, Times, Moscow Times, Staff, Russian Ministry, Defense's Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Moscow, Prigozhin

☆ Analysis: The 'mayfly' mutiny evaporates, but Russia is a changed place
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Tim Lister | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —The weekend’s events in Russia seem an almost surreal interruption to the long slog of conflict unfolding in neighboring Ukraine. Yevgeny Prigozhin’s challenge to the Russian state erupted and receded in the space of 24 hours, but the consequences of his short-lived mutiny may reverberate for much longer. Prigozhin’s Wagner forces, for all his boasting, were never going to be a match for the Russian security forces. And yet, the saga was humiliating to the Russian military and at least embarrassing to the Kremlin. One Ukrainian military officer was provocatively shown on social media eating popcorn as he watched events in Russia unfold.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Prigozhin’s Wagner, Prigozhin’s bluster, Sergei Shoigu, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Gorbachev –, Putin, Mikhailo Podolyak, It’s, ”, Pavel Zarubin, Russia “, Thomas Graham, Prigozhin’s, Wagner, ” Putin, Staff Valery Gerasimov, CFR’s Graham, Antony Blinken, ” Graham, Russia’s, Phillips O’Brien, “, Hanna Notte, ” Notte, there’s, STRINGER, “ Prigozhin, Stalin, Stephen Kotkin, Kremlin “, Kotkin Organizations: CNN, Southern Military, Kyiv, Council, Foreign Relations, Defense Ministry, Staff, ’, Moscow –, University of St, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Twitter, Getty Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Prigozhin, Rostov, Russian, Voronezh, Ukrainian, Africa, Syria, Bakhmut, St, Petersburg, Andrews, Scotland, West, AFP, Kremlin

☆ Time for world to dust off its post-Putin plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Pierre Briancon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, June 26 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Whatever happens after Vladimir Putin’s humiliation at the hand of his former protégé Yevgeny Prigozhin, the rest of the world sees the Russian president as wounded. The United States, Europe and China will need to dust off their post-Putin plans. The worst outcome would be a period of long uncertainty with different clans vying for power in Moscow. Confusion about who runs the show in the Kremlin would also send shivers among world governments worried about the fate of Russia’s nuclear weapons. And the balance of power in Russia, where vaguely liberal reformers have remained in charge of the economy, could be destabilised.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, Prigozhin’s Wagner, Wagner, shivers, Xi Jinping, Alexander Lukashenko, Prighozhin, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Peter Thal Larsen, Katrina Hamlin Organizations: Reuters, The, Moscow, Kremlin, Russian Defense, Staff, Thomson Locations: Moscow, The United States, Europe, China, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Crimea, States, India, Prigozhin’s, Russian, Rostov

☆ Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin breaks his silence, expresses 'regret' for destroying Russian military aircraft
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin posted an 11-minute audio message on Telegram Monday. In the message, the Wagner boss expresses "regret" for shooting down Russian military aircraft. Prigozhin expressed no regret for his march, however, claiming the "public demanded it." "We regret that we had to hit air assets, but those assets were dropping bombs and launching missile strikes," Prigozhin said. He also wanted accountability for Russia's military leadership, namely Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, —, Aleksandr Lukashenko, Wagner's, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov Organizations: Service, Russian, Russian Ministry of Defense, Staff, Wagner PMC Locations: Belarus, Moscow, Belarusian, Ukraine, Russia, Rostov, Africa

☆ Who is Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

June 24 (Reuters) - Mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Saturday he had taken control of the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don as part of an attempt to oust the military leadership, in what the authorities said was an armed mutiny. Following are some facts about the businessman and founder of the Wagner Group. * Prigozhin, 62, has for decades been known as "Putin's chef" due to his company's Kremlin catering contracts. * Prigozhin admitted last September that he had founded the private military group in 2014, the year Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine. The Wagner Group has fought in Libya, Syria, the Central African Republic and Mali, among other countries.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Shoigu, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Wagner, Kremlin, Concord, Central African, Staff, United, European Union, Internet Research Agency, Washington, Thomson Locations: Russian, Rostov, St Petersburg, Russia, Crimea, Ukraine, Libya, Syria, Central African Republic, Mali, Donbas, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, United States

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