Russia have in a problematic state for about twelve (12) hours as their civil war gets intense.
One of Russia’s most important figures, Prigozhin says his aim is “not a military coup but a march for justice”.
The Russian leader has accused Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin of treason, embarking on an armed rebellion and “a stab in the back of our country”.
Tensions rise in Russia as the Southern Russian Military District Headquarters in Rostov is surrounded by armed military personnel. The surrounding military personnel, which includes tanks pointing towards the headquarters, are elements of Wagner group but also some of the soldiers are wearing Russian National Guard patches accompanied by National Guard/Military trucks. Many soldiers have confirmed to be a part of Wagner group. This most likely indicates that factions of the Russian military as well as the National Guard, which is the MOST LOYAL to Putin, have DEFECTED to Wagner as part of the ongoing coup. Furthermore, the Southern Russian Military District has NUCLEAR WEAPONS within it’s realm of responsibility. Now this does not mean that they’re easily accessible, however it does mean that too much chaos in the chain of command could POTENTIALLY have a very sinister outcome. We’ve also received UNCONFIRMED reports of multiple Defense Ministry units involved in the Ukraine war are moving under Prigozhin’s command, with commanders Shoigu and Gerasimov (both loyal to Putin and report directly to the President) reportedly being removed from power. What is also rather concerning is that we’ve heard nothing NOTHING from Putin. Could this mean that both Wagner and factions of the Russian military and National Guard have colluded in order to pull of this ongoing and rapidly evolving coup? The repercussions of this would be unimaginable, as if successful, Prigozhin, the head of Wagner, would gain a considerable amount of power, possibly even NUCLEAR power. (Updates BEING Shared In Current Space & Being Added Live in Thread BELOW)
Is this a coup?
All claims of a military coup are absurd, claims Prigozhin.
But what began as a no-holds-barred row over the military’s failure to supply his mercenaries with sufficient kit and ammunition has now spilled over into a direct challenge to the two men in charge of prosecuting the war – Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and armed forces chief Valery Gerasimov.
So far this is not a coup, as there has been no stated bid to seize power from the government. Prigozhin’s “private military company” does not represent the military either, although he does claim to have widespread support in the armed forces.
But it is an attempt to topple Russia’s top brass and therefore a challenge to the president’s authority. And even though it was Russia’s leader who allowed Prigozhin to develop his rival force, he clearly has no control of him any more.
The Kremlin is taking this extremely seriously. The whole Moscow region has been put on an alert under a strict “counter-terrorist operation regime” and major events have been cancelled.
US officials knew of the plans from the Wagner Group to lead a rebellion against Russia, and intelligence officials briefed some members of congress earlier this week. Apparently intelligence officials have known for some time of the coming rebellion, and may have even had a part in in(unconfirmed). The leader of the Group claims his march was about an attack on his men in a military camp in Ukraine.
Putin Reportedly Leaves Moscow | Machine Gun Positions Around Moscow | Wagner Convoy Heads to Moscow As the coup continues, here’s the latest updates from our various sources live on the ongoing Twitter Space: – Worries of the Russian Nuclear Warheads moved to Belarus weeks ago – Wagner forces continue their advance to Moscow with limited strikes by the Russian Air Force – Reports of Putin and other officials leaving Moscow and heading to Saint Petersburg based on the movement of Military VIP aircrafts. TASS, which is Gov controlled media outlet, reported that Putin is heading to Saint Petersburg, but Putin’s Press Secretary refuted those reports. It is very unusual and rare to see such a disconnect between TASS and the Kremlin.
THOUGHTS: –
This is a military coup, we can no longer dispute this, and things are moving VERY rapidly and are not looking good for Putin. – We are seeing limited military clashes, showing likely defections among Russian forces – Almost EVERYTHING right now can’t be verified and should be taken with a grain of salt
