Wagner PMC boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has refused to surrender amid claims of a coup attempt against the Kremlin and warnings from UK military intelligence that his mercenary forces “almost certainly” marching on Moscow.
Following the outbreak of what is being described as a coup against the Kremlin, the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) — which has been publishing semi-daily intelligence drops during the war in Ukraine — has claimed that Wagner PMC units are marching north through the Voronezh Oblast (region) of Russia “almost certainly aiming to get to Moscow”.
“In an operation characterised by Prigozhin as a ‘march for freedom”, Wagner Group forces crossed from occupied Ukraine into Russia in at least two locations. In Rostov-on-Don, Wagner has almost certainly occupied key security sites, including the HQ which runs Russia’s military operations in Ukraine,” the MoD said in a Saturday morning intelligence briefing.
“Further Wagner units are moving north through Vorenezh Oblast, almost certainly aiming to get to Moscow.” the ministry added.
The Russian governor of the region, Alexander Gusev, reportedly confirmed on his Telegram channel that fighting had broken out in Vorenezh, saying: “As part of the counter-terrorist operation on the territory of the Voronezh region, the armed forces of the Russian Federation are carrying out the necessary operational and combat measures.”
Following the outbreak of fighting between Russian and Wagner forces and the allegations of a planned coup, Vladimir Putin called on Prigozhin, whose forces have been on the front lines in the war against Ukraine, to turn himself him and “answer” for his “betrayal” of the nation.
In a Saturday post on Telegram, Prigozhin responded in comments translated by CNN: “Regarding the ‘betrayal of the motherland,’ the president is deeply mistaken. We are patriots of our Motherland, we fought and are fighting, all the fighters of the PMC Wagner.”
“And no one is going to turn themselves in at the request of the president, the FSB or anyone else.” he continued.
“When we were told that we were at war with Ukraine, we went and fought. But it turned out that ammunition, weapons, all the money that was allocated is also being stolen, and the bureaucrats are sitting [idly], saving it for themselves, just for the occasion that happened today, when someone [is] marching to Moscow,” he said.
On Friday evening, Russia’s Federal Security Service confirmed that it has filed charges against Prigozhin for allegedly calling for an “armed rebellion” against Moscow. It followed accusations from Prigozhin that Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu had ordered military strikes on Wagner forces in Ukraine and had killed “a large number of our fighters.”
The Wagner boss has long been at odds with Shoigu, whom he has even suggested should be executed in Red Square for his failings in Ukraine. Earlier this month, Prigozhin reportedly balked at the notion of his forces coming under direct command of the Russian Defence Ministry, opting to remain independent as opposed to the Islamist Chechen forces of Ramzan Kadyrov, who acquiesced to the consolidation demands of the Kremlin.
Following the announcement of the arrest warrant, Prigozhin reportedly said that he intended to march 25,000 of his troops on Moscow, but claimed: “This is not a military coup, but a march of justice.”
While the Wagner chief has been very critical of the handling of the war in Ukraine, he has saved most of his criticisms for the military leadership, rather than Vladimir Putin himself, leading some to question whether he would actually seek to topple the 70-year-old leader should his forces reach Moscow.
Although Prigozhin has seemingly been hesitant to openly criticise Putin, he has warned that the current state of Russia is ripe for a revolution along the lines of Vladimir Lenin’s communist takeover in 1917.
Despite being very wealthy, Prigozhin has attempted to cast himself as a populist man of the people over the past months. Following what appeared to be drone attacks in Moscow earlier this year, the Wagner chief took aim at the Ministry of Defence.
“As a citizen, I am deeply indignant that these scum sit quietly and sit on their fat assholes smeared with expensive creams. And therefore, I believe that the people have every right to ask them these questions, these bastards,” he said.
In response to the threat of the Wagner forces, many of whom are Russian prisoners who were freed to fight the Ukrainians, highways have been shut down and counter terrorism measures have been put in place around Moscow.
Britain’s military intelligence briefing concluded by saying that in the coming hours the “loyalty” of Russian security forces and the National Guard will be critical in how the situation develops, with Prigozhin likely to attempt to sway loyalties away from the Kremlin.
“This represents the most significant challenge to the Russian state in recent times,” the MoD said.
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