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☆ Russia presidential election: Putin set to sweep to fifth term in power
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Russia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) approved only three candidates to oppose Putin: Leonid Slutsky of the Liberal Democratic Party, Vladislav Davankov of the New People Party and Nikolay Kharitonov of the Communist Party. “A vote for Slutsky and LDPR is absolutely not a vote against Putin,” he said. Although the ruling United Russia party has declared its “full support” for the president, Putin is running as an independent candidate, placing himself above party politics. A local election commission member prepares a polling station for early voting in the Republic of Karelia, March 10, 2024. Polls are set to open in Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka at 8 a.m. local time on Friday (4 p.m.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Joseph Stalin, Leonid Slutsky, Vladislav Davankov, Nikolay Kharitonov, Slutsky, “, ”, Stringer, Yekaterina Duntsova, Boris Nadezhdin, Alexey Navalny, Navalny “, Navalny, “ Putin, Yulia Navalnaya, Don’t, Natalia Kolesnikova, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Dmitry Serebryakov Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Commission, Liberal Democratic Party, New People Party, Communist Party, Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, United, Getty, CEC, Russian Security Service, The New York Times, TASS, Russia Locations: Alaska, Kaliningrad, Ukraine, Russia, Soviet, United Russia, AFP, Moscow, Republic of Karelia, Avdiivka, Russia’s, Kamchatka

While Russia narrowly avoided what many feared could be a civil war, the violent clashes on Oct. 3-4, 1993, marked a watershed. The public feels scared and intimidated after years of sweeping Kremlin efforts to quash dissent, he said. As tensions soared, Yeltsin ordered the parliament disbanded, a move that Russia’s Constitutional Court declared illegal. Grigory Yavlinsky, a veteran politician who defied Yeltsin and later opposed Putin, described the 1993 events as a key moment that determined Russia’s post-Soviet history. “The result is … the system that has led Russia where it now is,” he said in a recent commentary.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Josef Stalin, Boris Yeltsin, Yeltsin, Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Prigozhin, ”, Andrei Kolesnikov, ” Kolesnikov, Dmitry Peskov, ” Peskov, Mikhail Gorbachev, Alexander Rutskoi, Viktor Alksnis, Grigory Yavlinsky Organizations: Kremlin, Communist, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Putin, Constitutional Locations: Moscow, Russia, Soviet, Russian, Ukraine, USSR

☆ The message behind Putin’s Wagner meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In a televised meeting Friday, Putin met with Russia’s Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and former Wagner commander Andrey Troshev, according to a partial transcript published by the Kremlin. But unpack the language, and Putin’s Friday meeting appeared to put a reassuring gloss on the Russian government’s attempt to bring the mercenary group to heel. “I would like to talk to you about issues of a social nature,” Putin told Troshev, without naming Wagner. Wagner has supported the Libyan National Army for several years, reportedly backing Haftar’s 2019-2020 military campaign against the Tripoli-based government. If Friday’s meeting is any guide, Yevkurov appears to be a point man for future Wagner activity while Troshev takes on a different brief: overseeing Wagner 2.0 for the war in Ukraine.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, –, Wagner, group’s, Putin, Yunus, Bek Yevkurov, Andrey Troshev, Troshev –, ‘, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Prigozhin, “, ” Putin, Troshev, ”, Fatherland ’, ” –, Dmitry Peskov –, Yevkurov, Khalifa Haftar Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Fatherland, Prigozhin’s, “, RIA Novosti, Wagner, Central African, Libyan National Army, Rapid Support Forces Locations: Moscow, Russian, Russia’s Tver, Ukraine, Belarus, Africa, Mali, Central African Republic, Libya, Libyan, Benghazi, Tripoli

☆ Low-Cost Trans-Atlantic Airlines Could Soon Run Out of Runway
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( George Downs | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Prigozhin Is Dead: A Timeline of the Wagner Boss Since His Failed Mutiny The final two months of Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin’s life were full of speculation about his whereabouts and status. We break down what happened between his failed mutiny and his death in a Russian plane crash. Photo illustration: Ryan Trefes

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Ryan Trefes Organizations: Wagner Group Locations: Russian

☆ Fact Check-Video does not show Putin at Prigozhin’s funeral
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A 2013 video of Vladimir Putin at his former judo coach Anatoly Rakhlin’s memorial has resurfaced on social media, with users falsely claiming it shows the Russian President attending Wagner Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s funeral. The social media clip captures the Russian president placing flowers on a coffin, greeting people, and paying his respects above an open casket before eventually refusing to get into his limousine. In the last few seconds of the video, Putin can be seen walking away alone. For example, Putin can be seen next to the casket at 28s in the YouTube video and at 16s in the social media clip. He can then be seen walking alone at 1:18 and 42s in the two clips respectively.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Anatoly Rakhlin’s, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Prigozhin, Putin, “ Putin, Rakhlin ”, Rakhlin, ”, Read Organizations: Reuters, Kremlin, Facebook, YouTube Locations: St Petersburg, russia

☆ After Wagner's Prigozhin, who will stick their head above the parapet in Putin's Russia?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The Kremlin has vehemently denied speculation that the Russian state might have been involved in the crash. It’s worth remembering that Prigozhin never had particularly high name recognition in Russia, at least certainly not before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. That changed in late June after Wagner’s march on Moscow raised the unsettling possibility of civil war in Russia. Alexey Navalny, who succeeded Nemtsov as Russia’s most galvanizing opposition leader, is currently in a Russian prison colony, along with many others who have peacefully opposed Putin’s war on Ukraine. Killed the leaders.”No evidence has surfaced that points to the involvement of the Kremlin or Russian security services in the crash.

Persons: Yevgeny, Wagner, Vladimir Putin’s, Putin, “, ” Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Joe Biden, I’d, Biden, Prigozhins —, Prigozhin, Prigozhin —, —, Igor Girkin, ultranationalist, Matthew Chance, bouquets —, Boris Nemtsov, Alexander Ermochenko, Alexey Navalny, Nemtsov, Navalny, ’ ” Organizations: CNN, Embraer, Kremlin, Reuters Locations: Moscow, Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, St . Petersburg, Russia’s

☆ Putin Has His Revenge on Prigozhin - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Tatiana Stanovaya | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

No matter that Mr. Prigozhin subsequently met with the Kremlin and seemed to come and go where he pleased. If Mr. Prigozhin was assassinated, was it a snap decision or a well thought-out plan conceived after the rebellion? Whatever the truth, it’s clear that Mr. Putin had ample reason to wish for Mr. Prigozhin’s demise, and not just as a matter of rehabilitating his reputation. Yet while Mr. Putin undoubtedly sanctioned and funded these endeavors, for him the primacy of the state always took precedence. Mr. Prigozhin would be permitted his ventures as long as he remained subservient to the state apparatus.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Prigozhin’s, Putin’s, It’s Organizations: Kremlin Locations: Russia

☆ Trump’s mugshot, Wagner’s money and DeSantis tests the orchestra pit theory
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Donald Trump surrenders in Georgia and posts his mugshot on X. Yevgeny Prigozhin’s lucrative legacy in Africa is up for grabs. Plus, the U.S. Open Tennis Championships and what the orchestra pit theory means for Ron DeSantis. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. Further ReadingTrump's mug shot released after booking at Georgia jail on election chargesWhat happens to the Wagner Group after Yevgeny Prigozhin plane crash? 'The fear is not going away': Christians in Pakistan afraid to return homeFive top contenders for the US Open women's crownOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Donald Trump, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Ron DeSantis, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin Organizations: Apple, Google, Reuters, U.S, Thomson Locations: Georgia, Africa, Pakistan

☆ Russian Putin critics like Prigozhin who met an early death
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

No evidence has been presented that points to the involvement of the Kremlin or Russian security services in the crash. Nemtsov’s death came two days before he was set to lead an opposition rally in the Russian capital. Alexander PerepilichnyyOver the years, suggestions have emerged of the possible use of a rare plant poison in the death of Russian financier Alexander Perepilichnyy. ANDREY SMIRNOV/AFP/AFP/Getty ImagesRussian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky died in a Russian prison in 2009. The most prominent voice of dissent in Putin’s Russia, the lawyer, politician and corruption activist for years orchestrated massive street protests.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Wagner, –, Bill Browder, “ Putin, Boris Nemtsov, Boris Yeltsin, Ilya Yashin, Nemtsov, Vladimir Putin, ”, Nemtsov’s, Boris Berezovsky Boris Berezovsky, Warrick Page, Boris Berezovsky, Putin, Berezovsky, Alexander Perepilichnyy, Perepilichnyy, Sergei Magnitsky, ANDREY SMIRNOV, Magnitsky, Browder, Alexander Litvinenko Alexander Litvinenko, Alexander Litvinenko, Litvinenko –, Robert Owen, Putin “, Litvinenko, Marina Litvinenko, Anna Politkovskaya, JENS SCHLUETER, Lom, Ali Gaitukayev, Politkovskaya, Chechen Republic …, ” Drownings, Prigozhin, Gennady Lopyrev –, “, Lopyrev, Pyotr Kucherenko, Pavel Antov, Vladimir Budanov, Budanov, Alexander Buzakov, Anatoly Gerashchenko, Ravil Maganov, Lukoil, Maganov “, Alexey Navalny, Navalny, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Sergei Skripal, Skripal, Yulia Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Getty, Republican Party of Russia, Party, Newsweek, of Justice, Royal Botanic, AFP, Getty Images, Hermitage Capital, KGB, Authorities, The, Protect Journalists, RIA Novosti, Russia’s, Science, Higher Education, Gazprom, Lukoil, Reuters, Moscow Aviation Institute, TASS, Putin’s United, “ Locations: Russia, Boris Nemtsov Russian, AFP, Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, London's, Europe, England, Soviet Union, Britain, Surrey, London, Kew, American, Chechnya, Leipzig, Germany, The New York, Chechen Republic, Washington, Gelendzhik, ”, Cuba, India, Putin’s Russia, Putin’s United Russia, United States

A woman visits a makeshift memorial near the former PMC Wagner Centre, associated with the founder of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, in Saint Petersburg, Russia August 24. "From the point of view of Putin, as well as many among the security forces and the military, Prigozhin's death should be a lesson to any potential followers." Putin, who has spoken in the past of his hatred of traitors, described it at the time as a "stab in the back". 'GAME OF THRONES'But the death of Prigozhin, if confirmed, is not without cost to Putin. If Putin was responsible for Prigozhin's death, he said, it demonstrated he was willing to engage in brutal repression of any kind of dissent.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Anastasia Barashkova, Putin, Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Prigozhin, Tatiana Stanovaya, Abbas Gallyamov, Gallyamov, Andrew Borene, Samuel Ramani, RUSI, Ramani, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Robert Horvath, Mark Trevelyan, Gareth Jones, Andrew Heavens Organizations: PMC Wagner, Wagner Group, REUTERS, Reuters, Analysts, Kremlin, Central African, Putin, La Trobe University, Thomson Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, Kremlin, Ukraine, Africa, Moscow, United States, Belarus, Mali, Central African Republic, France, U.S, Melbourne

☆ Apparent death of Wagner boss Prigozhin might pay dividends for the Kremlin
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Ukrainians and their allies, Solovyov insinuated, were “spreading a fake message about the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin” based on a report from Rossiya-24, a Russian state television channel. After all, Russian investigative outlets have reported that the Wagner head apparently employed at least one body double. Awaiting an impartial report from the Investigative Committee is like expecting a Russian state TV host to stop taking talking points from the Kremlin. The crash of Prigozhin’s plane happened just about two months after Prigozhin and Wagner staged their insurrection, the biggest challenge to Putin’s rule in over two decades. Russian investigative journalist Artem Borovik died in 2000 shortly after his plane to Kyiv crashed after take-off from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Wagner, Prigozhin, Vladimir Solovyov, Solovyov, Yevgeny Prigozhin ”, Prigozhin –, Batya, –, Vladimir Putin’s, Alexey Navalny, Putin, “, Russia, That’s, Alexander Lukashenko, defenestration, Artem Borovik, Alexander Lebed –, cui bono –, Vanda Felbab, Brown, liquidating Wagner, ”, Vladimir Putin Organizations: CNN, Embraer, Kremlin, Russian Federation, Brookings Institution Locations: Kuzhenkinskoe, Russia’s Tver, Russian, Rossiya, Moscow, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Africa, St . Petersburg, Niger, Kyiv, Moscow’s Sheremetyevo, East

☆ Opinion: Who the drone attacks on Russia are really aimed at
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Sheena Mckenzie | Opinion Jade Mcglynn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Jade McGlyn Jade McGlynIt is the latest in more than 140 suspected Ukrainian drone attacks directed against Russia and its occupying forces on Ukrainian territory this year, according to the BBC. Does that mean the drone attacks are strategically pointless? Investigators work near a damaged roof following a reported Ukrainian drone shot down in Moscow, Russia, on Friday, August 18. Unlike in Russia, Ukraine’s population is not passive or depoliticised, as shown by its heroic fight for its sovereignty. The drone attacks probably won’t turn Russians against the war.

Persons: Jade McGlynn, “, Read, McGlyn, Volodymyr Zelensky, arrogate, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Igor Girkin, Shamil Zhumatov, pacifying, Vladimir Kara Murza, ”, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov Organizations: Center for Strategic, International Studies, CNN, Russia, BBC, Malaysia Airlines Flight, Kremlin, of Defence, Armed Forces, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Putin’s Russia, Russia, Ukrainian, Moscow, Ukraine, Russian

☆ After Prigozhin’s Mutiny, Putin Is Doubling Down on Failure - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Dara Massicot | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In the wake of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s failed rebellion, it seems as if Russia’s leaders are living in an alternate reality. Most strangely, Mr. Prigozhin — the architect of it all — goes between being ‘‘unpersoned’’ to apparently meeting with Mr. Putin to smooth over differences of opinion. Yet on the ground, the Russian war effort grinds on as before. Mr. Shoigu and Gen. Valeriy Gerasimov, Russia’s highest-ranking officer, will continue to conduct the war in an inept fashion. Retained by Mr. Putin for their loyalty, they are now even more likely to suppress negative information and present a distorted image of the war.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, chatted, Sergei Surovikin, Prigozhin, ’, Putin, It’s, Shoigu, Valeriy Organizations: . Defense, Russia’s, Mr Locations: Moscow, Russian, Belgorod, Crimea, Ukraine

CNN —A senior Russian general in command of forces in occupied southern Ukraine says he was suddenly dismissed from his post after accusing Moscow’s Defense Ministry leadership of betraying his troops by not providing sufficient support. Gen. Ivan Popov was the commander of the 58th Combined Arms Army, which has been engaged in heavy fighting in the Zaporizhzhia region. He is one of the most senior officers to have taken part in the bloody Russian campaign in Ukraine. The recording was posted on the messaging app by Andrey Gurulev, a member of the Russian Parliament and former deputy commander of the Southern Military District. Another Russian commander, Gen. Sergey Surovikin, who has not been seen in public since the failed Wagner-led rebellion last month, is “resting,” a Russian lawmaker said Wednesday.

Persons: CNN —, Ivan Popov, Popov, Andrey Gurulev, ” Popov, “, Sergei Shoigu “, vilely, –, Voyenniy Osvedomitel, Oleg Tsokov, ”, Valery Gerasimov, ISW, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Sergey Surovikin, Surovikin Organizations: CNN, Moscow’s Defense Ministry, Arms Army, Telegram, Southern Military District, ”, Kremlin, Combined, Army, British Storm, 58th Combined Army, Ukrainian, Russian Defense Ministry Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia, “, Berdyansk, Washington, Zaporizhia –

☆ Live updates: Russia's war in Ukraine, upcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Images from amateur Russian trainspotting websites appear to show Putin's train. The train is painted to look like an ordinary Russian Railways train. Among the parts of the train detailed is car number 021-78630, with a gym and spa for Putin, according to the Dossier Center. The Dossier Center is backed by Mikhail Khodorkovsky, an exiled former Russian oil tycoon turned Kremlin critic. A glossy brochure made by Zircon itself shows a luxurious gym and spa on wheels designed for Putin, the Dossier Center says.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, ”, “, Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Zircon Organizations: Russian Railways, CNN, Transportation Administration, Kremlin, Süddeutsche Zeitung, NDR, WDR, Service Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Mykolaiv, Moscow, London

☆ Why Wagner chief Prigozhin's absence is so damaging to Putin
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Instead, the Kremlin on Monday tried to provide some clarity, after French newspaper Liberation reported a meeting between Putin and Prigozhin on June 29. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, confirmed in a conference call with journalists the meeting had taken place. I can’t tell you more.”It is important to pause and conjure just how surreal the meeting Peskov is describing sounds. But this is in keeping with the Kremlin’s bid to contain the fallout from Putin’s most dangerous weekend yet. If Prigozhin has been forgiven – as the Kremlin meeting might suggest - then why is there no public acknowledgement of that, a bid to at the least file down the fangs of stray Wagner fighters?

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Alexander Lukashenko’s, Putin, Prigozhin, Dmitry Peskov, ” Peskov, –, Wagner, Lukashenko, Mikhail Khodorkovsky –, Sergey Surovikin, Valery Gerasimov Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Russia’s, French, Liberation, Defense Ministry Locations: Russia’s Rostov, Belarusian, St . Petersburg, Belarus, Russian, Derbent, Kremlin, Russia, Ukraine

A glossy brochure made by Zircon itself shows a luxurious gym and spa on wheels designed for Putin, the Dossier Center says. The room itself, documents from the Dossier Center suggest, is outfitted to help prevent the use of listening devices. The train is painted to look like an ordinary Russian Railways train. “There is a ghost train on the railways of our country,” one trainspotter wrote alongside an image of what appears to be Putin’s train he posted on rutrain.com. It is through the image of those domes that we know that Putin’s train carries the ordinary external markings of a Russian train.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, ”, “, Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Zircon, –, Dmitry Pegov, Oleg Klimentiev, ” Pegov, Oleg Ateistovich, ” CNN’s, Gleb Karakulov, Karakulov, ” Karakulov, trainspotter, trainspotters, Abbas Gallyamov, ” Gallyamov, Putin's, Gallyamov, Wagner, It’s Organizations: CNN, Transportation Administration, Kremlin, Süddeutsche Zeitung, NDR, WDR, Service, Russian Railways, “, Dossier, Zircon Service, Federal Security Service, FSO Locations: Ukraine, Mykolaiv, Moscow, London, Russian, Russia, Valdai, St . Petersburg, Kerch, Crimea, Israel

☆ What Biden needs to accomplish with his NATO trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Betsy Klein | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

London CNN —President Joe Biden embarks on a weeklong trip to Europe on Sunday, and the stakes couldn’t be higher for the future of the NATO alliance. Biden makes a stop in London ahead of his attendance at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, followed by meetings with Nordic leaders in Helsinki, Finland. But Biden will be a key player in determining what specific, measurable criteria or timelines, if any, are offered to Ukraine for NATO membership during this summit. Sweden’s NATO membership is “within reach,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a news briefing following a meeting of senior officials from Turkey, Sweden and Finland Thursday. And I’m really looking – anxiously looking forward for your membership,” Biden told Kristersson during a meeting in the Oval Office.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, month’s, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Vladimir Putin’s, ”, Chris Skaluba, Michael McCaul, Jake Sullivan, “, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Zelensky, Zelensky, Sweden’s, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Ulf Kristersson, ” Biden, Kristersson, –, it’s, Max Bergmann, Bergmann, China’s “, Sullivan, King Charles III, Jill Biden, Finnegan Biden, Rishi Sunak Organizations: London CNN, NATO, Nordic, Transatlantic Security Initiative, Strategy, Security, Foreign, US House Foreign, CNN, Wall Street, Turkish, White, Eurasia Program, Stuart Center, Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: Europe, London, Vilnius, Lithuania, Helsinki, Finland, Ukraine, Russia, Belarusian, Bucharest, Romania, Eastern Europe, Sweden, Turkey, NATO’s, Madrid, Vilnius “, United Kingdom, Windsor, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, China

Colonel General Sergei Surovikin attends a briefing in the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia, on June 9, 2017. Rumors about his whereabouts — and his potential role in the short-lived insurrection — have been swirling in recent days. CNN has reached out to the Kremlin and Russian Ministry of Defense for comment on Surovikin’s whereabouts. Surovikin first served in Afghanistan in the 1980s before commanding a unit in the Second Chechen War in 2004. He was the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces during Russia’s operations in Syria, which saw Russian combat aircraft causing widespread devastation in rebel-held areas.

Persons: Sergei Surovikin, Pavel Golovkin, Sergey Surovikin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, —, Surovikin, “, Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin, Peskov, Putin, “ Surovikin, Alexey Venediktov –, –, Sergey Markov, ”, Surovikin “, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Mikhail Gorbachev, Organizations: Russian Defense Ministry, Moscow Times, CNN, Kremlin, Russian Ministry of Defense, General Staff, Defense, Ministry, Echo, New York Times, Russian Aerospace Forces, Washington DC, Jamestown Foundation, Human Rights Watch Locations: Moscow, Russia, Russian, Surovikin, Echo Moscow, Rostov, Afghanistan, Syria, Idlib

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

☆ 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

Some Russian military bloggers with substantial followings expect a serious reshuffle of the military in the light of the Wagner uprising, and perhaps within the security services for not seeing the preparations for it. Putin has sought to reassert his authority after Prigozhin's mutiny. There is no way to verify Rybar’s allegations, but their airing may demonstrate a level of apprehension in the Russian military in the light of the mutiny. At one point, according to Russian military bloggers, Surovikin interceded to try to procure ammunition for Wagner. There is still considerable respect in Russian military circles for what Wagner has contributed to the Ukraine conflict.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Wagner, Sergey Shoigu, Rybar, ” Rybar, Putin, Valery Gerasimov, Mikhail Teplinsky, Boris Rozhin, Sergey Surovikin, “, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, ”, Dmitry Peskov, Surovikin, Mark Galeotti, Galeotti, Tatiana Stayonova, Rob Lee, “ Wagner, ” Surovikin, Prigozhin, Vyacheslav Volodin, ” Volodin, Anastasia Kashevarova, Mikhail Tereshchenko, Stayonava, Shoigu, Yevgeny Prigozhin, George W Bush, Concord Company ”, we’ll, eking, Viktor Zolotov, ” Zolotov, ” Anastasia Kashevarova, Russia “, there’s Organizations: CNN, FSO, Federal Guard Service, Federal Protective Service, AP, General Staff, The New York Times, Mayak Intelligence, Foreign Policy Research Institute, Russian Aerospace Forces, Sputnik, Getty, Western Military, Concord Company, Kremlin, MoD, Defense Ministry, Russian National Guard, Ministry of Defense, Telegram Locations: Rostov, Moscow, Don, Russia, Ukraine, AFP, Bakhmut, Shoigu, Putin, St, Petersburg, Russian, Minsk, Belarus, Prigozhin

☆ Live updates: Russia responds after Wagner rebellion, war in Ukraine continues
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Joe Biden speaks during an event in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesRussia’s short-lived insurrection has handed Joe Biden the most perilous version yet of a dilemma that has confounded the last five US presidents: how to handle Vladimir Putin. But all failed to avert the plunge in ties between the two nuclear superpowers. But even he tried to break the chill, by meeting his counterpart at a summit in Geneva in 2021. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, however, led him instead to reinvigorate the NATO alliance with an extraordinary pipeline of arms and ammunition designed to ensure the country’s survival.

Persons: Joe Biden, Chip Somodevilla, Vladimir Putin, Bill Clinton, Biden, Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Wagner Organizations: KGB, Soviet Union, Soviet, Wagner Group Locations: Washington ,, Russia, Washington, Geneva, Russia’s, Ukraine, Moscow, Belarus

☆ Biden is turning the screw on Putin even as US denies role in Russia’s insurrection
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Russia’s short-lived insurrection has handed Joe Biden the most perilous version yet of a dilemma that has confounded the last five US presidents: how to handle Vladimir Putin. Ex-President George W. Bush looked into Putin’s eyes and got “a sense” of his soul, only for Putin to invade Georgia on his watch. Let me emphasize, we gave Putin no excuse to blame this on the West or to blame this on NATO. Putin has shown no sign that outside heat from Moscow’s foes will force him to retreat and bring his troops home. But with the war going poorly in Ukraine, Putin is now facing a new political front at home after his personality cult of an all-powerful autocrat impervious to challenge was punctured by Prigozhin.

Persons: CNN —, Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin, Bill Clinton, George W, Bush, Putin, Barack Obama, didn’t, Donald Trump, Biden, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Wagner, Prigozhin, “, Volodymyr Zelensky, Antony Blinken, Putin’s, James, Josep Borrell, John Bolton Organizations: CNN, KGB, Soviet Union, Soviet, Wagner Group, Western, NATO, British, Putin, Russian, US, Red Army, Union High Representative, Foreign Affairs, Trump Locations: Russia, Georgia, Crimea, Washington, Geneva, Russia’s, Ukraine, Moscow, Belarus, Syria, Russian, Soviet, Europe, Bakhmut, Kremlin

A senior Russian general had advance knowledge of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s plans to rebel against Russia’s military leadership, according to U.S. officials briefed on American intelligence on the matter, which has prompted questions about what support the mercenary leader had inside the top ranks. General Surovikin is a respected military leader who helped shore up defenses across the battle lines after Ukraine’s counteroffensive last year, analysts say. He was replaced as the top commander in January but retained influence in running war operations and remains popular among the troops. American officials also said there are signs that other Russian generals may also have supported Mr. Prigozhin’s attempt to change the leadership of the Defense Ministry by force. Current and former U.S. officials said Mr. Prigozhin would not have launched his uprising unless he believed that others in positions of power would come to his aid.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Sergei Surovikin, Vladimir V, Putin, Surovikin, Prigozhin’s, Prigozhin Organizations: Defense Ministry Locations: Russian, Ukraine

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