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The Biden administration asked Ukrainian officials not to conduct covert attacks inside Russia as the Wagner group rebellion was underway and advised them not to do anything that would influence the outcome of events or take advantage of the chaos, according to American officials. They did not know how he intended to do that, or what he intended to do with them, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence. The outreach came soon after Mr. Prigozhin began his rebellion, officials said. In urging Kyiv to exercise caution, U.S. officials did not want to give President Vladimir V. Putin an excuse to claim that Mr. Prigozhin’s rebellion was orchestrated by the United States or by Ukraine. They also said they believed that any high-profile operation by Ukrainian forces inside Russia was unlikely to have any major effect on Mr. Prigozhin’s goals, but would allow Mr. Putin to level accusations against the West, according to American assessments.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Sergei K, Valery V, Vladimir V, Putin, Prigozhin’s Organizations: Biden, Ukrainian, West Locations: Russia, Ukraine, U.S, Kyiv, United States

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

☆ 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

☆ Belarus' Lukashenko says he convinced Putin not to eliminate Wagner leader Prigozhin
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signaled he deterred his Russian counterpart and long-time ally Vladimir Putin from eliminating failed insurrectionist and Russian paramilitary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin after his attempted coup over the weekend. "I also realized that a tough decision was taken (Putin hinted at it in his address) — to eliminate those involved. I suggested that I talk to Prigozhin, his commanders," Lukashenko said on Tuesday, in unexpectedly frank and exhaustive comments reported by Belarusian state agency Belta. Against expectations, Lukashenko on Tuesday confirmed that Prigozhin — a "dead man walking," according to Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group — reached Belarus by private plane. "No one will give you Shoigu or Gerasimov, especially in this situation," Lukashenko claims to have told Prigozhin.

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, insurrectionist, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, Prigozhin, Lukashenko, Wagner, Ian Bremmer, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov — Organizations: Russian, Belta, Prigozhin, Tuesday, Eurasia Group — Locations: Belarusian, Moscow, Belarus, Russia

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

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

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

☆ 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

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

☆ 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

But now, as Mr. Putin seeks to project an image of restored stability and control, he has been putting his defense minister on display, even if Mr. Shoigu has not addressed the public or even been heard speaking. Mr. Shoigu was also present on Monday as Mr. Putin convened a meeting of his top security chiefs. On Tuesday, as Mr. Putin praised his security forces in a grandly choreographed speech, Mr. Shoigu was again present, wearing his military uniform. Mr. Shoigu, who was a very popular minister of emergency situations before becoming defense minister in 2012, has had a long and friendly relationship with Mr. Putin. Mr. Putin may have kept both men in charge as part of his decades-long efforts to place the sprawling Russian military more under his control.

Persons: Vladimir V, Sergei K, Shoigu, Valery V, Putin, Yevgeny V, Wagner, ” Mr, Gerasimov, Mr, Prigozhin, Ramzan Kadyrov, —, ”, ” Andrei Guryulov, Aleksandr Dugin, Aleksandr G, Lukashenko, Dugin, Long, General Gerasimov, It’s, Andrei Soldatov, Putin “, ” Oleg Matsnev Organizations: Putin, Cuban, National Defense Control Center of Russia, Russian military’s Zvezda, United, Defense Ministry, General Staff Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, United States, Cuba, Russian, Ukrainian, Lyman, Chechnya, United Russia, Belarus

REUTERS/Stringer/File PhotoSummary Fears of civil war rose in world's biggest nuclear powerMercenaries posed biggest threat to Putin in 23-year rule'Anyone with anything to lose was extremely tense' -sourceThe elite wonder: What's next for Russia? One fear was that Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner mercenary group, if he entered Moscow, would try to take over the economy, triggering yet another redistribution of ownership in Russia, the world's biggest supplier of natural resources. The source spoke on condition of anonymity due to the danger of speaking publicly in contemporary Russia. Russians started to withdraw significant amounts of roubles and seek foreign currency in 15 regions across Russia. But within the elite, there is now a fear that Putin will seek to assert his position and remove those he felt did not profess their loyalty with enough ardour.

Persons: Wagner, Stringer, Putin, What's, Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner, Prigozhin's, Mikhail Gorbachev, Andrei Belousov, Dmitry Gusev, Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin, Russia's, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Viktor Zolotov, Guy Faulconbridge, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Southern Military District, REUTERS, Reuters, Kremlin, KGB, Bolshevik, Air, Jets, General Staff, National Guard, Thomson Locations: Rostov, Don, Russia, MOSCOW, Moscow, Russian, Soviet, Ukraine, Belgrade, Istanbul, Dubai, Sochi, Belarus, Belarusian, Zolotov

☆ Analysis: Where are Russia's top generals? Rumours swirl after mercenary mutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Valery Gerasimov, Russia's top general, has not appeared in public or on state TV since the aborted mutiny on Saturday when mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin demanded Gerasimov be handed over. Gerasimov, 67, is the commander of Russia's war in Ukraine, and the holder of one of Russia's three "nuclear briefcases," according to some Western military analysts. Rybar, an influential channel on the Telegram messaging application run by a former Russian defence ministry press officer, said a purge was underway. Surovikin, Gerasimov's deputy, was last seen on Saturday when he appeared in a video appealing to Prigozhin to halt his mutiny. He had been spoken of by Russian war correspondents as a potential future defence minister.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Staff of Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, Mikhail Kuravlev, Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Gerasimov, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Rybar, Wagner, Prigozhin, Michael Kofman, Viktor Zolotov, Shoigu, Alexei Venediktov, vilifying Shoigu, Andrew Osborn, Mike Collett, White, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Staff of Russian Armed Forces, Defence Ministry Board, Sputnik, REUTERS, LONDON, New York Times, Wednesday, Moscow Times, Reuters, Russian Armed Forces, Carnegie Endowment, Twitter, National Guard, Moscow, Tuesday, Western, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, Ukraine, Russian, Ukrainian, Moscow's, Chechnya, Syria

☆ 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

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

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

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

☆ How the 'masculine' talks that averted a siege on Moscow went down, according to Putin's negotiator
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Sam Fellman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Thousands of Wagner fighters led by Prigozhin threatened to advance on Moscow Saturday. That's when Russian leader Vladimir Putin purportedly came calling. The number of swear words was ten times higher than that of normal words. Certainly, he said he was sorry for using swear words." Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko at the Kremlin in Moscow on September 9, 2021.

Persons: Lukashenko, Wagner, Prigozhin, —, Alexander Lukashenko, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, wasn't, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, SHAMIL ZHUMATOV, Prigozhin's Organizations: Moscow, Service, Privacy, Wagner Group, Belarusian, Kremlin, Getty, Lukashenko's Locations: Belarus, Moscow, Independence, Minsk, Russia, Belarusian, Ukraine, Russian, Rostov

☆ Putin says he hopes Prigozhin and his Wagner mercenaries 'didn't steal much' of the billions Russia spent on them
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Putin revealed on Tuesday Russia spent billions on Yevgeny Prigozhin and his mercenaries. He then said that he hopes "no one stole anything — or, let's say, didn't steal much." Putin's comment seems to suggest some theft is expected, highlighting the state of corruption in Russia. He didn't call out his long-time ally Prigozhin by name though. "I hope that in the course of this work, no one stole anything — or, let's say, didn't steal much," the Russian president said, according to a translation from The Times.

Persons: Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, —, Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Alexei Navalny, Gleb Irisov Organizations: Russia, Service, Moscow, Russian Ministry of Defense, Wagner, The New York Times, The Times, Kremlin, Putin, Times Locations: Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Bakhmut, Concord, Russian

☆ Putin’s weaknesses laid bare after 24 hours of rebellion in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Face masks depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and owner of private military company Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin are displayed among others for sale at a souvenir shop in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, June 4, 2023. With a so-called "24-hour coup" by Russia's mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin ending in an anti-climactic pullback, Russian President Vladimir Putin was able to avoid a dramatic and bloody standoff with his one-time ally. Russia experts and political analysts characterized the uprising as "24 hours that shook the Kremlin" and the biggest challenge to Putin and the Russian elite in decades. Tensions came to a head several weeks ago when the defense ministry announced that all private military companies, including Wagner, would have to sign contracts. Putin endorsed the move but Prigozhin refused to sign — only to then lead his fighters in the ill-fated revolt last Friday.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, Hanna Liubakova, Prigozhin, Chris Weafer, Weafer, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Wagner Organizations: Wagner Group, Wagner, Council's Eurasia Center, Saturday, Russian, Prigozhin Locations: St . Petersburg, Russia, Belarus, Russian, Rostov, Moscow, Ukraine, Donetsk

June 26 (Reuters) - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu appeared for the first time since a deal was struck on Saturday to end what the authorities had called an armed mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group aimed at ousting him. In a video released on Monday morning by the Russian Defence Ministry, Shoigu was shown flying in a plane with a colleague and hearing reports at a command post run by Russia's Zapad (West) military grouping. There was no sound on the video and it was not immediately clear where or when the visit had taken place. [1/5]Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu visits the advanced control post of Russian troops involved in Russia-Ukraine conflict, at an unknown location, in this picture released June 26, 2023. Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERSGerasimov has not been seen since in public, and there was no word from the Kremlin about any new personnel changes when it described the deal which had ended the mutiny.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Wagner, Shoigu, Russia's Zapad, General Yevgeny Nikiforov, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Valery Gerasimov, Prigozhin, REUTERS Gerasimov, Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Andrew Osborn, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: Russian Defence, Russian Defence Ministry, Russia's Zvezda Defence Ministry TV Channel, General Staff, REUTERS, Kremlin, Zvezda, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Belarus

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ Putin's embattled defense minister Shoigu appeared in a video released after the Wagner mutiny that experts say is confusing and feels off
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russian defense chief Shoigu appeared in a video released after the Wagner Group's armed rebellion. Moscow published the video purportedly showing Shoigu in Ukraine, though its unclear when it was filmed. Some Russian milblogger channels have arrived at the same conclusion, that the video of Shoigu was older footage. Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the notorious Wagner mercenary organization, has long criticized Moscow's military leadership over its handling of the war in Ukraine. Russia denied the allegations, but it didn't stop Prigozhin from openly encouraging his mercenaries to take up arms against the defense ministry in open rebellion.

Persons: Shoigu, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, —, Sergei Shoigu, General Yevgeny Nikiforov, Yevgeny Nikiforov's, Sergei Shoigu's, Jimmy Rushton, Mark Krutov, Yevgeny Nikiforov, I'm, Dara Massicot, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Valery Gerasimov, Russia's, Moscow's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Don, Stringer, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, he's, Antony Blinken, Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: Service, Russian Defense, Wagner Group, Russian Ministry of Defence, Twitter, Radio Free, Radio Liberty's, Russian Ministry of Defense, RAND Corporation, Prigozhin Press Service, Prigozhin Press, Associated Press, Don REUTERS, Stringer Western, ABC News, NATO, Ukraine Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty's Russia, Shoigu, Rostov, Don, Russia, Belarus, Ukrainian, Kyiv

☆ Gripped by Uncertainty After Mutiny, Russians Note Absence of Kremlin Leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Neil Macfarquhar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Confusion and uncertainty pervaded Russia on Sunday, with neither President Vladimir V. Putin nor Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, the head of a mutinous mercenary group, appearing anywhere in public a day after the most profound government crisis in three decades — an open military rebellion — appeared defused. And some wondered aloud why much of Russia’s leadership was being neither seen nor heard. Aside from Mr. Putin, neither Sergei K. Shoigu, the minister of defense, nor Valery V. Gerasimov, the military chief of staff, had put in a public appearance since the uprising started on Friday night. Many heads of the country’s security services also proved invisible. Could a foreign enemy, he asked, march with equal ease on the capital?

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Yevgeny V, —, ”, Sergei K, Valery V, Yuri Kotenok Organizations: Ministry of Defense Locations: Russia, Moscow, Ukraine

And they clearly had little interest in helping Mr. Putin avoid a major, embarrassing fracturing of his support. While it is not clear exactly when the United States first learned of the plot, intelligence officials conducted briefings on Wednesday with administration and defense officials. Placing Wagner forces under the control of Mr. Shoigu was “out of the question” for Mr. Prigozhin, Ms. Stanovaya said. But it was only in recent days that intelligence officials got the initial warnings that Mr. Prigozhin might take action. President Biden, speaking in October, talked of the dangers that Mr. Putin would pose if he felt cornered and said the United States was looking for “off ramps” for Mr. Putin.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Vladimir V, Putin, Mr, Prigozhin’s, “, ”, Sergei K, Valery Gerasimov, Wagner ., Tatiana Stanovaya, Shoigu, Stanovaya, Gerasimov, Biden, Donald J, Trump Organizations: Wagner Group, United, CNN, United States, Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, Associated Press, Intelligence, Russian, Ukrainian, Mr, Ministry of Defense, Defense Ministry, Carnegie Endowment, International Locations: Rostov, Don, Russia, United States, Ukraine, St . Petersburg, Moscow, Belarus, United, U.S, Russian, Bakhmut, Wagner . Russia

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