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☆ 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

"Those who destroyed our lads, who destroyed the lives of many tens of thousands of Russian soldiers, will be punished. He later said his men had been involved with clashes with regular army soldiers and had shot down a helicopter. The video showed him telling the generals: "We have arrived here, we want to receive the chief of the general staff and Shoigu. Army Lieutenant-General Vladimir Alekseyev - who was later to appear with Prigozhin in the video from Rostov-on-Don - issued a video appeal asking Prigozhin to reconsider his actions. An unverified video on a Telegram channel close to Wagner showed the purported scene of an air strike against Wagner forces.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Yulia Morozova, Moscow, Prigozhin, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Reuters Wagner, Shoigu, Dmitry Peskov, Sergei Sobyanin, Joe Biden, Putin's, Vladimir Alekseyev, Sergei Surovikin, Andrew Osborn, Kevin Liffey, Daniel Wallis, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, Russian Defence, General Staff, Reuters, Don, Southern Military District, Prigozhin, Wagner, Moscow, Russian Federation, PMC, Private Military Company, Russian Ministry of Defence, Defence Ministry, Thomson Locations: Russian, St Petersburg, Moscow, Russia, Rostov, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Voronezh, Bakhmut, Washington , U.S, European Russia

☆ Russian mercenary boss Prigozhin to move to Belarus under Wagner deal, Kremlin says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin leaves the headquarters of the Southern Military District amid the group's pullout from the city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, June 24, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander ErmochenkoMOSCOW, June 24 (Reuters) - Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin will move to Belarus under a deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to end an armed mutiny that Prigozhin had led against Russia's military leadership, the Kremlin said on Saturday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Lukashenko had offered to mediate, with Russian President Vladimir Putin's agreement, because he had known Prigozhin personally for around 20 years. Although Putin had earlier vowed to punish those who participated in the mutiny, Peskov said the agreement had had the "higher goal" of avoiding confrontation and bloodshed. Prigozhin had earlier demanded that Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov be handed over to him.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexander Ermochenko MOSCOW, Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin, Dmitry Peskov, Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin's, Peskov, Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Kevin Liffey, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Southern Military, REUTERS, Belarusian, Russia's, Kremlin, Fighters, Defence Ministry, Staff, Russian Defence Ministry, Russian Federation, Thomson Locations: Rostov, Don, Russia, Belarus

☆ Yevgeny Prigozhin: Who is the Wagner chief turned rebel?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Yevgeny Prigozhin is the founder and bombastic leader of Russia’s private military group Wagner. Putin and Prigozhin share relatively humble beginnings, and the Wagner chief grew up in the tougher neighborhoods of St. Petersburg, also the president’s hometown. Prigozhin founded Wagner as shadowy mercenary outfit that fought both in Ukraine and, increasingly, for Russian-backed causes around the world. In recent months, Prigozhin has created a dilemma for Putin by becoming an outspoken critic of Russia’s military leaders. The Wagner mutiny began when Prigozhin unleashed a new tirade against the Russian military on Friday and then marched his troops into the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ”, Defense Yunus, Bek Yevkurov, Mark Hertling, Misha Japaridze, Sergei Shoigu, Gen, Valery Gerasimov, “, Don Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Defense, Reuters CNN, Central African, Russian, United, Russian Defense Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, St . Petersburg, Russian, Central African Republic, Sudan, Libya, Mozambique, Syria, Soledar, Prigozhin's, Russia, Bakhmut, Rostov

☆ 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

☆ Rebel Russian mercenaries halt advance on Moscow, Kremlin says fighters to face no action
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

On Saturday night, they began withdrawing from the Rostov military headquarters they had seized, a Reuters witness said. EX-CONVICTS IN WAGNER RANKSThe fighters led by Prigozhin, a former convict, include thousands of ex-prisoners recruited from Russian jails. Residents of the city had milled about calmly, filming on mobile phones as Wagner fighters in armoured vehicles and battle tanks took up positions. Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said an offensive was launched near a group of villages ringing Bakhmut, which was taken by Wagner forces in May after months of fighting. Tarnavskiy said the area had been under Russian control since separatist forces backed by Moscow seized it in 2014.

Persons: Prigozhin, Belarus Wagner, Vladimir Putin's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, Wagner, Dmitry Peskov, Alexander Lukashenko, Peskov, Lukashenko, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Mark Milley, Hanna Maliar, Oleksandr Tarnavskiy, Tarnavskiy, Andrew Osborn, Kevin Liffey, Peter Graff, Frank Jack Daniel, Giles Elgood, Frances Kerry, Alexander Smith, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Kremlin, Reuters, Belarus, Defence Ministry, Russia's Southern Military District, Residents, Deputy, Thomson Locations: Belarus, Rostov, ROSTOV, VORONEZH, Russia, Russian, Moscow, Ukraine, Bakhmut, France, Germany, Britain, East, UKRAINE, Krasnohorivka, Donetsk

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

☆ Mercenaries return to bases after challenge to Putin's authority
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Ending their short-lived mutiny, fighters of the Wagner group began heading back to their bases late on Saturday in return for guarantees for their safety. Their commander, Yevgeny Prigozhin, will move to Belarus under the deal mediated by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Peskov said Lukashenko had offered to mediate, with Putin's approval, because he had known Prigozhin personally for around 20 years. She said the swift ending of the turmoil indicated that Putin's rule would not be undermined by it alone. Russia's ministry of digital affairs recommended that IT, telecoms and media companies give employees the day off on Monday.

Persons: Belarus Wagner, Vladimir Putin's, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Antony Blinken, Putin, Lukashenko, Prigozhin, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Joe Biden, Justin Trudeau, Biden, Trudeau, Zelenskiy, State Anthony Blinken, NBC's, Anton Vaganov, Dmitry, Oleg, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Marina Miron, Antonio Tajani, Messaggero, Brian Taylor, Russia's, Gareth Jones, Philippa Fletcher, Frank Jack Daniel, Jane Merriman, Chris Reese Organizations: Kremlin, U.S, Russia's Security, Canadian, Twitter, State, Press, Rostov, Reuters, Sunday, Reuters Graphics Reuters Graphics, Defence Ministry, King's College London's Defense Studies Department, Syracuse University, Thomson Locations: Belarus, Rostov, ROSTOV, VORONEZH, Russia, Russian, Moscow, Ukraine, China, Bolshevik, Africa

In a series of Telegram posts on Friday, Prigozhin accused Russian forces of striking a Wagner military camp. “A huge amount of our fighters were killed,” he said, in a radical escalation of a longstanding feud with Russia’s military leaders. In a later Telegram post, Prigozhin said that his criticism of the Russian military leadership was a “march of justice” and not a coup. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russian President Putin is aware of the situation and “all necessary measures are being taken,” according to state media RIA Novosti. In the interview, he claimed the ministry misled Russian President Putin entirely.

Persons: CNN —, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, ”, ” Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Prigozhin “, “, Dmitry Peskov, Putin, Russia’s, Sergey Surovikin, Prigozhin’s, Igor Strelkov, Tatyana Stanovaya, Mykhailo Podolyak, ’ Prigozhin, , Shoigu – Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Prigozhin's Press Service, –, Russian, Federal Security Service, PMC, Novosti, Social, State, Russia, Russian Ministry of Defense, Security, Defense, Twitter, Internet Research Agency, of Defense, Ministry of Defense, NATO Locations: Russia, Russian, Ukraine, Moscow, Donetsk People’s Republic, “, Putin’s Russia, St . Petersburg, NATO, Crimea

☆ 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

☆ US has closely monitored power struggle between Prigozhin and Russian government for months
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine stalled earlier this year, top American officials said they saw indications of tensions between the Kremlin and the Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. Russia’s domestic intelligence service opened a criminal case against Prigozhin after he appeared to cross a red line with the Kremlin on Friday. Prigozhin, one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest allies, vowed to retaliate against the country’s military leadership after accusing Russian forces of striking a Wagner military camp and killing a “huge amount” of his mercenaries. In January, a top White House official said Wagner was becoming a “rival power center to the Russian military and other Russian militaries.” Officials suggested at the time that Prigozhin was working to advance his own interests in Ukraine instead of the broader Russian objectives. At the time, US intelligence officials deemed the Prigozhin meeting as significant enough to include in one of Biden’s daily briefings, sources said.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu, Gen, Valery Gerasimov, Vladimir Putin’s, Joe Biden, Adam Hodge, ” John Kirby, Putin Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Wagner Group, Officials, House, Pentagon, Russian, Russia’s Ministry of Defense, National Security, White, ”, Wagner, West Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Prigozhin

It called on the Wagner private military company forces to ignore his orders and arrest him. Wagner fighters had entered the southern Russian city of Rostov, Prigozhin said in an audio recording posted on Telegram. Prigozhin earlier said, without providing evidence, that Russia's military leadership had killed a huge number of his troops in an air strike and vowed to punish them. 'OBEY PRESIDENT,' GENERAL SAYSThe deputy commander of Russia's Ukraine campaign, General Sergei Surovikin, told Wagner fighters to obey Putin, accept Moscow's commanders and return to their bases. Tarnavskyi said Russian forces had lost hundreds of men and 51 military vehicles in the past 24 hours, including three tanks and 14 armoured personnel carriers.

Persons: Wagner, Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner fighters, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Hanna Maliar, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Russia's, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Vladimir Alekseyev, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, Tarnavskyi, Cynthia Osterman, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Kremlin, TASS, White, GENERAL, Friday, Guardian, British, Defence Forces, Reuters, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, KYIV, Russian, Russia, Ukraine, Prigozhin, Rostov, Moscow, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, UKRAINE, Kherson, Tavria

☆ Russians are reminding troops the enemy is Ukraine amid fears of a Wagner coup attempt against the defense ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has prompted fears of an impending coup in Russia. Russian civilians and officials are imploring troops to keep their focus on Ukraine amid the panic. "Everyone who holds a weapon at the line of contact, remember: your enemy is across from you," a message shared repeatedly states. Founder of Wagner private mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin. Press service of "Concord"/Handout via REUTERSThe Russian defense ministry, meanwhile, also attempted to refocus attention on the fight in Ukraine in a Friday Telegram post.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, —, Russia's, Putin, Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Samuel Bendett, Simon Miles, Miles, Sergey Surovikin, Bendett Organizations: Service, Ukraine —, Russian, Staff, Federal Security Service, Center for Naval Analyses, Press, Armed Forces, Russian Federation, [ Armed Forces, Duke University's Sanford School of Public, Soviet Union Locations: Russia, Russian, Ukraine, Moscow, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, gunpoint, Concord, Soviet

☆ Yevgeny Prigozhin: What is happening to Wagner boss?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Yevgeny Prigozhin, the bombastic chief of Russia’s private mercenary group Wagner, appears to be falling out of favor fast in Moscow, after he unleashed a tirade against the Russian military on Friday and vowed to retaliate against its leaders. Prigozhin on Friday accused Russia’s military of attacking a Wagner camp and killing a “huge amount” of his men. Prigozhin founded Wagner to be a shadowy mercenary outfit that fought both in eastern Ukraine and, increasingly, for Russian-backed causes around the world. While many regular Russian troops saw setbacks on the battlefield, Wagner fighters seemed to be the only ones capable of delivering tangible progress. In one particularly grim video from early May, Prigozhin stood next to a pile of dead Wagner fighters and took aim specifically at Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of the Russian armed forces Gen. Valery Gerasimov.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Russia’s, ”, Prigozhin, Prighozhin, Vladimir Putin, Dimitry Peskov, Putin, Mark Hertling, Sergei Shoigu, Gen, Valery Gerasimov, “, ” Putin Organizations: CNN, Prigozhin, Kremlin, Defense, Russian Federation, Social, Central African, United, Bakhmut, Russian Defense Locations: Moscow, Russia’s Rostov, Russia, Ukrainian, Russian, Ukraine, Central African Republic, Sudan, Libya, Mozambique, Syria

☆ Wagner mercenary chief says Russia's war in Ukraine based on lies
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"The war was needed ... so that Shoigu could become a marshal ... so that he could get a second 'Hero' [of Russia] medal. The war wasn't needed to demilitarise or denazify Ukraine." There was no immediate response from the Defence Ministry, which has ignored previous complaints from Prigozhin, in public at least. Putin has, however, backed a Defence Ministry order, which Prigozhin opposes, that mercenary groups like Wagner must sign contracts putting themselves under ministry control by July 1. Portraying the top brass as vodka- and cognac-swilling fools who lunch on caviar, he alleged the Russian war effort was being hobbled by corruption.

Persons: Putin, oligarchic, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Prigozhin, PUTIN Wagner, Russia's, Vladimir Putin, Volodymr Zelenskiy, Andrew Osborn, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Defence Ministry, NATO, Kyiv, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Ukraine's, Moscow, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Prigozhin

☆ Russian mercenary boss accuses top brass of Ukraine battlefield cover-up
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary Mercenary chief escalates feud with Defence MinistryPrigozhin accuses ministry of lying to PutinDefence Ministry ignores the broadsideJune 22 (Reuters) - Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin added fuel to his feud with the top brass on Thursday, accusing them of lying to President Vladimir Putin and the Russian people about the scale of Russian losses and setbacks in Ukraine. Prigozhin, whose Wagner private militia spearheaded the Russian capture of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut last month, is resisting an order for mercenary groups like his to sign contracts with the Defence Ministry before July 1. Prigozhin portrays Wagner as Russia's most effective fighting force, and has enjoyed unusual freedom to publicly criticise Moscow - albeit not Putin, on whose support he and Wagner ultimately depend. There was no immediate response from the Defence Ministry, which has ignored previous complaints, in public at least. Ukraine for its part has reported modest advances, which President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says have been "slower than desired".

Persons: Defence Ministry Prigozhin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Prigozhin, Wagner, Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Andrew Osborn, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Defence Ministry, Putin Defence Ministry, General Staff, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Moscow, Russia, Crimea

☆ 6 ways the Russia-Ukraine war could play out in the wake of Ukraine's counteroffensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Over a year since Russia invaded Ukraine, there still does not appear to be a clear end in sight. Here are six ways the war could play out and what victory might look like for either side. Russia's war in Ukraine has been raging on for over a year, and there is still no clear end to the conflict in sight. With the largest land war in Europe since 1945 now entering a new phase, here are six ways it could play out. One senior official previously said that a Russian nuclear strike could trigger a "physical response" from NATO.

Persons: —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, it's, Seth Jones, Mykhalchuk, Jones, SERGEY SHESTAK, Muhammed Enes Yildirim, Putin, He's, Zelenskyy, Vladimir Putin, LUDOVIC MARIN, they've, Spencer Platt, It's, Mark Cancian, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Scott Peterson, Mark Milley, Eugen Kotenko, Vladimir Putin's Organizations: Service, Center for Strategic, Studies ', Security, Leopard, Getty, Anadolu Agency, Marine, intel, 95th Airborne Brigade, US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Publishing, Getty Images, NATO Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Europe, South Korean, AFP, Donetsk, Crimea, Russian, Ukrainian, Siversk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, West, Kyiv, China

☆ 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.

☆ Ukraine’s counteroffensive is now underway. Here’s what’s happened so far
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Tim Lister | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russian forces has not yet gained the momentum that some overly optimistic observers anticipated. Still it is a formidable task: in the south especially, Ukrainian forces must conduct a frontal assault against deeply prepared defensive positions, and critically they lack air superiority. It’s worth noting that Russian units in one heavily-contested area – belonging to the 58th Combined Arms Army – are among the most effective in the military. Ukrainian units in the area have had to adapt, often breaking down into smaller groups that are less easily detected. Dmytro Kuleba, Ukrainian Foreign Minister, has said that if the offensive succeeds in expelling Russian forces from Ukrainian land, “It will be the last.

Persons: CNN —, pare, Volodymyr Zelensky’s, Mykhailo Podolyak, ”, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Yan Dobronosov, Matthew Schmidt, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Mick Ryan, don’t, Gerasimov, Valentyna, Alexander Ermochenko, Olga Maltseva, Schmidt, “, Richard Haas, Charles Kupchan, Dmytro Kuleba Organizations: CNN, CNN — Ukraine’s, Russian, Ukrainian Land Forces, University of New, Staff, Army, Air Force, Reuters, Separate Territorial Defense Brigade, “ Aviation, Getty, Kremlin Locations: Ukraine, Crimea, Donetsk, Russian, Bakhmut, Ukrainian, Kharkiv, “ Ukraine, University of New Haven, Washington, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Zaporizhzhia, AFP

☆ Once allies, Russia's mercenary boss is now in a more precarious position with Putin
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, arrives during a funeral ceremony at the Troyekurovskoye cemetery in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, April 8, 2023. It's well known that there's no love lost between the outspoken Wagner Group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and Russia's Ministry of Defense; Prigozhin has openly and repeatedly criticized the ministry's most senior officials, including Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, in expletive-laden rants slamming Russia's military strategy in Ukraine. But now, however, tensions appear to be emerging between Prigozhin and the Russian leadership, putting him in a precarious position with the Russian president. Precarious place for PrigozhinPrigozhin has stated that he's confident a compromise can be found that avoids the need for a contract with the defense ministry, but analysts say the mercenary boss is on shaky ground in his apparent defiance of Putin. Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin attends the funeral of Dmitry Menshikov, a fighter of the Wagner group who died during a special operation in Ukraine, at the Beloostrovskoye cemetery outside St. Petersburg, Russia, on Dec. 24, 2022.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Mikhail Klimentyev, Shoigu, Putin, Prigozhin Prigozhin, he's, Dmitry Menshikov Organizations: Wagner Group, AP, Kremlin, Wagner, Russia's Ministry of Defense, Putin, Russian Defence Ministry Board, Afp, Getty, Shoigu, Defence Ministry, Ministry of Defense, Google, Wagner PMC, MoD Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Bakhmut, Prigozhin, Russian, St . Petersburg

☆ Putin appeared to literally turn his back on his loyal defense minister on Russian state TV
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Paul Squire | Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

President Vladimir Putin literally turned his back on his defense minister during a publicity stunt. In the clip from Russian state TV, Putin appears to avoid facing Sergei Shoigu, his loyal minister of defense. During a visit to a Moscow military hospital to give Russian soldiers medals, Putin appeared to turn away from Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu (R) and chief of the general staff Valery Gerasimov attend a meeting with Russian President in Moscow on February 27, 2022. It is, however, unclear whether there is a rift between Putin and his defense minister or, if there is, whether or not recent events are the cause of any potential tension between them.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, —, Volodymyr Omelyan, Valery Gerasimov, ALEXEY NIKOLSKY, Putin's, Yevgeny Prigozhin Organizations: Service, TV, Russian, Russian Defence, SPUTNIK, Getty, Wagner Group Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Shoigu, Ukrainian, Russia

☆ Russian military leaders can't seem to get Wagner and its boss, Prigozhin, to fall in line, and it's a mess that goes beyond dysfunction
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The Wagner Group is a wild card that has won victories in Ukraine but also created headaches for Russia's military command. The situation is increasingly messy, as Wagner and its founder and financier have repeatedly exacerbated the growing rift between the regular Russian military and the mercenary force. Its leader also appears to make battlefield decisions independently of the defense ministry. He said that Wagner's uneasy relationship with the Russian military has evolved from being awkward to being dysfunctional to what it is now, which is counterproductive. Prigozhin said recently that "Wagner will not sign any contracts with Shoigu," referring to the Russian defense minister.

Persons: Wagner, that's, —, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Mark Cancian, they're, Russia's Wagner, Stepanenko, ISW, Valery Gerasimov, Sergey Surovikin, milblogger, Cancian Organizations: Service, Ukraine, Wagner Group, Russian, International Security, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Concord Press Service, REUTERS, Institute for, Press, Russian Ministry of Defense, Shoigu Locations: Ukraine, Paraskoviivka, Russian, Russia, Ukrainian, Concord, Bakhmut

"Wagner will not sign any contracts with Shoigu," Prigozhin said in response to a request for comment on the matter. The defence ministry did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. The defence ministry said that in the interests of increasing the effectiveness of "volunteer detachments", all such units - or their men - would have to sign a contract with the defence ministry by July 1. It did not mention Wagner by name but it routinely refers to Wagner as "volunteer assault detachments". "These measures will increase the combat capabilities and effectiveness of the armed forces and their volunteer detachments," Deputy Defence Minister Nikolai Pankov said.

Persons: Prigozhin, Wagner, Shoigu, Sergei Shoigu, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Staff Valery Gerasimov, WAGNER Prigozhin, Sergei Surovikin, Nikolai Pankov, Guy Faulconbridge, Jason Neely Organizations: MOSCOW, Defence, Staff, Shoigu, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, May, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, United States, Africa, Washington, Russia, Russian

☆ Top general tells Putin how Russia repelled major Ukrainian attack - defence ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, June 8 (Reuters) - The general in charge of Russia's troops in Ukraine has briefed President Vladimir Putin on how his forces repelled a large-scale Ukrainian attack in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, one of his subordinates said on Thursday. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said earlier on Thursday that Russian forces had withstood fierce overnight attempts by Ukrainian troops to break through the frontline in Zaporizhzhia and had inflicted heavy losses on them. Reuters could not independently verify Shoigu's battlefield account and there was no immediate comment on the situation from the Ukrainian defence ministry. Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff, had briefed Putin on the overnight battle on Thursday morning, Russian Colonel General Alexander Romanchuk said in a video clip released by the Defence Ministry. Romanchuk said attacking Ukrainian forces had run into serious problems in a Russian minefield, that Russia had used bombers to repel them, and alleged that Russian forces had destroyed three German-made Leopard tanks.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Putin, General Alexander Romanchuk, Romanchuk, Andrew Osborn Organizations: ., General Staff, Defence Ministry, Ukrainian, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia, Russia

☆ Wagner boss Prigozhin is escalating his feud with the Russian military to stay relevant after Bakhmut, but he risks taking it too far, war experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Wagner founder and financier Yevgeny Prigozhin continues to escalate his feud with the Russian defense ministry. But some prominent voices in Russia's pro-war ultranationalist community are troubled by his antics, ISW observed. But in that same information space, Prigozhin also voiced repeated, profane, and blunt criticisms of the regular Russian military and its leadership. This aspect of his online activities appears to have become more pronounced as Wagner forces come off the line and reposition to rear areas. "Prigozhin is exposing a similar hatred for select individuals within the Russian military command," she said.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, ISW, —, Prigozhin, Russia's ultranationalist, Bakhmut, Stepanenko, Roman Venevitin, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Igor Girkin, Shoigu, Russian oligarch Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, Russia's, Kremlin, Institute for, Press, REUTERS, 72nd, Motorized Rifle Brigade, Wagner, Russian MoD, RIA, MoD, Washington DC Locations: Bakhmut, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Belgorod Oblast, Russia, Concord, Russian, Soledar

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