Ultimate Showdown! Prigozhin Uprising Seizes Russian City of Rostov & Marches to Take Over the Capital!

Title: The Unfolding Situation in Rostov: An Apparent Coup Attempt

Introduction:
In an unexpected turn of events, Russian warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin has claimed control over a military headquarters in Rostov and declared a coup against Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Commander Valery Gerasimov. Prigozhin’s paramilitary group, Wagner, has been in conflict with the officials over the handling of the invasion of Ukraine. The situation has sparked concerns and led to heightened security measures in Rostov and Moscow.

Engaging additional piece: Understanding the Dynamics of Power and Conflict in Russia

Russia has always been a country with complex power dynamics, and the recent events in Rostov only highlight this further. The apparent coup attempt by Yevgeny Prigozhin and his paramilitary group, Wagner, reflects the deep-seated power struggles within Russia’s military and security forces. To truly comprehend the situation, it’s crucial to delve into the broader context of Russia’s involvement in Ukraine and the internal dynamics of its power structures.

1. A Patchwork of Competing Security Forces:
The conflict between Wagner and the Russian military exposes the existence of a hybrid system where various security forces operate independently in Ukraine. This system has often led to confusion and inefficiencies in carrying out military operations. The paramilitary group’s grievances regarding the invasion of Ukraine suggest disagreements over strategy, command, and accountability within Russia’s military ranks.

2. Wagner’s Power and Influence:
Wagner, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, has gained significant power and influence in recent years. Prigozhin, often known as “Putin’s chef,” has close ties to the Russian government and has been involved in various military endeavors. The autonomy Wagner has been granted and the control it wields over military installations in Rostov raise questions about the extent of Prigozhin’s influence and the implications this holds for Russia’s military operations.

3. Internal Disputes and Fragmentation:
The infighting between Wagner and the military leadership highlights the fragmentation within Russia’s power structures. Disagreements over tactics, decision-making, and responsibilities have created rifts and tensions among different factions. The apparent support Prigozhin has garnered from some high-ranking generals reflects a deep-rooted dissatisfaction with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Commander Valery Gerasimov.

4. Implications for Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine:
The coup attempt and the subsequent chaos can have significant repercussions for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The loss of control over military installations and the internal disputes within the Russian ranks may lead to disarray and hamper the progress of the invasion. Furthermore, the increased public attention on the conflicts and discrepancies in casualty numbers could spark further scrutiny and decrease public support for the campaign.

Conclusion:
The situation in Rostov, involving Yevgeny Prigozhin and his paramilitary group Wagner, marks a significant moment of unrest and power struggle within Russia’s military and security apparatus. The apparent coup attempt and the internal disputes within the ranks reflect a broader landscape of fragmentations, differing strategies, and power struggles. This event could potentially disrupt Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and lead to further scrutiny of its military operations. It remains to be seen how the Russian government will respond and whether they can regain control over the situation in Rostov.

Summary:
Russian warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin has claimed control over a military headquarters in Rostov, sparking concerns of a coup attempt against Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Commander Valery Gerasimov amid internal disputes over the invasion of Ukraine. Prigozhin’s paramilitary group, Wagner, has been in conflict with the military leadership for months. The unfolding situation has led to heightened security measures in Rostov and Moscow. The power struggles and fragmentation within Russia’s military and security forces have raised concerns about the progress of the invasion and the broader dynamics of power within the country.

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Russian warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed his forces were “blockading” Rostov and marching on Moscow on Saturday morning as masked gunmen with tanks and armored vehicles surrounded government buildings in the southern Russian city.

In what will mark Russia’s first coup attempt in three decades, Prigozhin appears to have taken control of a military headquarters in Rostov, where he was filmed denouncing a deputy defense minister and a high-ranking general about his attempt to oust the army leadership.

The extraordinary scenes were part of what Prigozhin called a “march of justice” against Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, commander of the Russian invasion forces. Prigozhin’s paramilitary group, Wagner, has been feuding with the two officials for months over the handling of the invasion of Ukraine.

“We want [Gerasimov] and Shoigu. Until they are here, we will stay, blockade Rostov and head for Moscow,” Prigozhin told Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and Vladimir Alekseyev, deputy head of Russian military intelligence. “We are saving Russia.”

In another video posted shortly after, Prigozhin said that Wagner controlled “the military installations in Rostov, including the airport”, but did not interfere with the invasion operations of Ukraine.

“We do it in such a way that the attack planes do not hit us, but the Ukrainians. The headquarters is functioning normally, not a single officer is unemployed. If they tell you that Wagner interfered with the work and that’s why something fell in front – that’s not why something fell there,” Prigozhin added.

“Large areas have been lost, the number of fallen soldiers is three to four times higher than in the documents that are delivered, and 10 times higher than what they say on TV.”

The scenes at the army command center came after Prigozhin said Wagner opened fire on Russian forces and shot down three army helicopters.

As the months-long dispute between Wagner and the military boiled over, Russian security services treated his statements with unprecedented seriousness. The FSB, Russia’s main security service, on Friday accused Prigozhin of staging an armed uprising, while two high-ranking generals who rarely speak in public urged Wagner’s fighters to withdraw “with a bang.” State”.

Prigozhin’s gamble seemed to mark the collapse of a hybrid system in which a patchwork of competing security forces fought on behalf of Russia in Ukraine, often against the tide. The chaos follows months of public infighting between Wagner and the military as large-scale Russia invasion of Ukraine continues to sputter.

Officials in Rostov, home to a large command center overseeing President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, have urged people to stay home and avoid the city center. Masked men set up positions outside Russia’s southern military headquarters and several other security service buildings, according to local website 161.ru and several videos posted on local social media.

It was not immediately clear whether all the men were Wagner fighters or part of Russia’s regular armed forces, although photographs on state newswire Tass suggest some of them were members of the group paramilitary.

Rostov Governor Vasily Golubev wrote on social media that public transport routes would be changed “due to the current situation”, without explaining why.

Outside of Rostov, there was little sign of Prigozhin’s forces, which he said numbered 25,000 men, or of clashes with Russian forces.

There was no independent confirmation of any of Prigozhin’s statements, footage indicating that Wagner had mustered such a force, or an indication that he had engaged in firefights with the military.

But a governor in central Russia said a highway to Moscow had been closed north of Rostov, while officials in the capital said “counter-terror operations” were underway.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin was receiving regular updates on the situation and had given unspecified orders to his security services. Neither Putin nor any other senior Russian official had made public comments on Prigozhin’s apparent uprising at 7 a.m. local time on Saturday.

https://www.ft.com/content/a7440939-eedf-41b4-933b-54145b5bc609
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