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☆ 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

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

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

☆ Bill Clinton says he feels 'terrible' for pushing a 1994 agreement with Russia that resulted in Ukraine giving up its nuclear weapons
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Azmi Haroun | Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Bill Clinton expressed regret for his role in a 1994 agreement between Russia, Ukraine and the US. The agreement saw Ukraine give up nuclear weapons left over from the fall of the Soviet Union. Clinton said that if Ukraine still had the weapons, Russia would not have invaded. "I feel a personal stake because I got them [Ukraine] to agree to give up their nuclear weapons," Clinton said. "A great deal had to do with the risks of proliferation and the challenges of keeping nuclear weapons secure," Miles said.

☆ Russia repeated a battle tactic that failed miserably in Bucha and once again lost tanks critical to the war
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia lost 130 tanks during three weeks of fighting near Vuhledar, per Ukrainian officials. But long before the staggering losses in Vuhledar, Russia's tank failures were evident just weeks into the war. Soldiers walk amid destroyed Russian tanks in Bucha, in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, April 3, 2022. Just like in Bucha, Russia failed to capture its intended target in Vuhledar, making the same mistake that already cost them scores of tanks a year ago. It's one of the more egregious errors in what Miles called the "half-baked" Russian offensive playing out in Vuhledar and Ukraine's east.

☆ Wagner Group's turn from prison recruitment could be effort to tap soldiers who might balk at 'serving with rapists and murderers,' historian says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Wagner Group, the Russian paramilitary organization, has stopped recruiting prisoners for the war. An expert in Russian history told Insider the move could be an attempt to recruit more competent fighters. "It was people deciding they would take their chances dying in Ukraine as opposed to dying in a Russian prison." While Prigozhin's quest for influence is well-documented, it's also entirely possible that Wagner ceased its prison recruitment efforts simply because the well had run dry, Miles said. The group could look to other war-torn countries where experienced soldiers might fight for pay, Miles said.

☆ Bizarre video with Russian subtitles employs 'Trumpian' tactics to recruit US veterans for the war in Ukraine, Russia expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

One Russia expert told Insider the video could be linked to the Wagner Group. A brazen Russian recruitment video targeting American citizens comes as both Russia and Ukraine prepare massive offensives after a slow but violent winter. It was not clear whether the American advertisement referenced in Prigozhin's statement is the same video circulating online. In one still from the video, a Wagner Group arm patch can be seen on a Russian soldier's uniform. "If you're a true patriot of the future Great America, join the ranks of the warriors of Russia," the video commands.

Others, like China, have criticized the war without meaningfully reducing ties with Russia. The war prompted condemnation in the United Nations and saw Russia booted from the UN Human Rights Council. Beijing has walked a careful line since the invasion began, at times exhibiting impatience with Russia's war in Ukraine. Putin in September acknowledged that China had "questions and concerns" about the war while meeting with Xi in Uzbekistan. "Putin's allies are not 'turning on him,' only expressing dissatisfaction at the difficulties his war in Ukraine is causing them," he added.

☆ The deadly missile incident in Poland is a 'propaganda gift' for the Ukrainians and Zelenskyy, Russia expert says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Two people were killed after Russian-made missiles landed in Poland, according to reports. The incident could benefit Zelenskyy's efforts to stir up further assistance, a Russia expert said. "This is a propaganda gift for the Ukrainians," said Simon Miles, an assistant professor at Duke. But what marks the first seeming spillover of Russia's war beyond Ukraine could ultimately benefit Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's ongoing efforts to stir up additional assistance and support, a Russia expert told Insider. On top of being a fatal tragedy for Poland, the Tuesday incident also bolsters Ukraine's ongoing wartime rhetoric.

☆ NATO could invoke Article 4 after Russian missiles struck Poland. Here's what that means.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The incident could invoke NATO Article 4, which allows any member to call for a consultation when threatened. Several NATO countries previously invoked Article 4 after Russia invaded Ukraine in February. Such defiant language ostensibly appeals to the collective defense principle at the heart of NATO Article 5. As such, NATO and its members have no binding obligation to defend Ukraine against Russia's attacks. Biden has made clear that US troops thus far deployed to Eastern Europe are there to bolster NATO member countries wary of nearby Russian aggression.

☆ Elon Musk's pro-Russian peace deal is 'classic Putin,' and there's a clue of the Russian leader's role, Fiona Hill argues
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Elon Musk's foray into the Russia-Ukraine war is being guided by Putin, according to Fiona Hill. The Russia expert told Politico that Putin frequently uses prominent people as intermediaries. "Putin plays the egos of big men, gives them a sense that they can play a role," Hill said. But in reality, they're just direct transmitters of messages from Vladimir Putin," Hill told Politico this week, noting that the Tesla billionaire has tipped his hand in an obvious display of Putin's influence. Musk's sudden emergence as an apparent player in foreign affairs may seem curious, but it's actually a "classic Putin play," Hill said.

☆ Russian missile strikes in Ukraine are militarily 'nonsensical' and represent an 'extraordinary tantrum' on Putin's part, Russia expert says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Putin also claimed that the strikes were directed solely at Ukrainian military, energy, and communications targets, but photos and videos show the aftermath of Russian munitions in civilian areas. "The Russian military can only hope to achieve effects through terror bombings like this," he added. "This reeks of desperation," Miles told Insider. While Russia's recent strikes won't be a one-time occurrence — the country unleashed a second bombardment throughout Ukraine on Tuesday — it is a tactic that is likely to be short-lived. "Putin's sort of fantasy of Ukraine as this national house of cards has been proven wrong time and time again," he added.

☆ The Kremlin reluctantly acknowledged issues with its draft amid mobilization chaos, but blamed local authorities and rebellious citizens for botching the decree
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Kremlin spokesman tried to deflect blame over mounting discord following Russia's draft decree. Last week, more than seven months into Russia's war in Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin announced a partial military mobilization in an effort to address Russia's manpower problem amid a spate of recent Ukrainian victories. The country's mobilization will see up to 300,000 reservists called upon to join the fight, many on the frontlines. But as Russia endures mounting military losses thanks to depleted personnel, it's clear that the country is prioritizing soldiers of any skill. It's a late-in-the-game adjustment that is unlikely to make a dent in Russia's military performance anytime soon, experts previously told Insider.

☆ Putin's nuclear threats indicate the president is increasingly aware of how limited his military options are in Ukraine, Russia expert speculates
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Vladimir Putin on Wednesday escalated his war in Ukraine with a direct threat of nuclear warfare. Putin is increasingly "aware of how limited his actual military options are," one expert said. During his televised speech, the president also baselessly accused the West of threatening to use nuclear weapons and responded with an acknowledgment of Russia's own nuclear arsenal. "It is clear that he is growing more and more aware of how limited his actual military options are in this war." A Russian nuclear missile rolls along Red Square during the military parade marking the 75th anniversary of Nazi defeat, on June 24, 2020 in Moscow, Russia.

☆ Putin has been called a 'master procrastinator' but experts say he wanted to avoid mobilizing troops 'at all costs' due to how unpopular it would be in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Experts said Putin wanted to avoid the move, but also wanted to bolster his military. The move could weaken support for Putin's regime as Russians are exposed to the reality of the war. The Russian president has found his forces short on manpower while Ukraine, on the other hand, ordered a full military mobilization within days of the invasion in February. "He's a master procrastinator," Michael Kofman, a military analyst of Russia studies at the Center for Naval Analyses told Puck's Julie Ioffe this week. Experts told Insider it could take weeks or months for Russia's partial mobilization to bear fruit, as the reservists need to be trained, equipped, and deployed.

☆ Putin's call-up won't make a dent in Ukraine for months and is already sowing panic at home with protests and people racing to get out of the country
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Putin on Wednesday announced a partial military mobilization order seven months into the Ukraine war. Ukraine, on the other hand, ordered full military mobilization just days after the war began and is just now reaping the benefits. It could take more than a month for reservists to deployOne of the major obstacles to Russia's mobilization aspirations is the country's depleted military infrastructure. Photo by Contributor/Getty ImagesResistance from the Russian public is growingIt's not just military experts who have their doubts about Russia's mobilization. Russians across the country took to the streets following Putin's speech, sparking protests and chants of "no to war."

☆ Putin is suffering 'legitimate humiliation' after misjudging the West's willingness to get involved in Ukraine war, Russia expert says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-15 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Putin is likely humiliated as Russia's military losses mount in Ukraine, a Russia expert told Insider. Putin's personal vendetta against Ukraine and his misplaced assuredness in Russia's military supremacy likely blinded him to the Western world's willingness to come to Ukraine's aid. "He misjudged the willingness of western governments and firms to take a hit to punish Russia, and certainly the willingness of Europe to imperil their supply of gas." The US, too, has had to make sacrifices as a result of Russia's war in Ukraine. Russia's mounting military losses in conjunction with the Western world's rallying behind Ukraine is a worst-case scenario for Putin.

☆ Putin's insistence that the war is going great is shooting Russia in the foot as it desperately tries to find new soldiers, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-14 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia is suffering from a lack of soldiers as Ukraine racks up a series of victories in the war. Reports from the front lines indicated that Russian troops fled as the country's military buckled under Ukraine's powerful performance. The strategy worked well enough at the start of the war, Miles said. To conscript soldiers, Russia would have to formally declare a state of war — an escalation that would highlight and confirm Russia's troubled performance in the conflict. "Continuing to refuse to mobilize is denying the Russian military the resource it needs most, which is personnel," Miles said.

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