On June 24, the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, with its 1 million people, endured a tense standoff between the authorities and fighters from the Wagner mercenary group. Locals were stunned to find armored vehicles and armed soldiers taking up positions in their streets.
In a bizarre series of events, Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the notorious Wagner Group, seemingly dared to challenge Moscow with what appeared to be a “mutiny” triggered by a rocket attack on Wagner camps allegedly “ordered by [Russian Defense Minister Sergei] Shoigu” and the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) (T.me/concordgroup official, June 24). Prigozhin’s initial swift success in gaining control over …
While the precise consequences of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s so-called “march for justice” remain to be seen, the events starting on the night of June 23 and abruptly ending with a deal between Prigozhin and Russian President Vladimir Putin seemingly brokered by Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka on June 24 will certainly disrupt Russian forces still fighting in Ukraine (T.me/concordgroup official; T.me/tvrain, June 24). By some …