Energy News
WAR REPORT
Prigozhin: Wagner revolt aimed to oppose military contract, not topple Putin
Prigozhin: Wagner revolt aimed to oppose military contract, not topple Putin
by Clyde Hughes
Washington DC (UPI) Jun 26, 2023
Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said Monday that his mercenaries were not trying to topple the leadership of Russian President Vladimir Putin when they marched on Moscow over the weekend.

In an 11-minute audio message posted Monday, Prigozhin said he was "categorically against" a decision to close Wagner and sign contracts with the military by July 1.

"We didn't march to overthrow Russia's leadership," he said in the video. "The aim of the march was to avoid destruction of Wagner and to hold to account the officials who through their unprofessional actions have committed a massive number of errors."

Prigozhin, who is reportedly in Belarus, said its President Alexander Lukashenko played a part in ending the brief rebellion. He said Lukashenko "extended his hand and offered to find ways for Wagner to continue its work legally."

Considered once a part of Putin's inner circle, Prigozhin continued to criticize Russian military leadership, went on to claim if his mercenary group was in charge during the early days of Russia's invasion that it would be over by now.

In the meantime, Russian state media said Prigozhin remained under investigation for treason despite a deal that had him leave for Belarus and the Kremlin saying criminal charges had been dropped. No other details were given.

A source close to the Russian state media TASS said that Russian intelligence services will monitor Prigozhin while he's in Belarus and will likely not engage in any political activities, "however, his expertise may prove useful for establishing a [private military company] in Belarus."

The Russian defense ministry released a video to state television on Monday showing Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visiting troops involved in the war in Ukraine.

The ministry did not elaborate on when the video was taken or where it was taken. If confirmed, it would mark Shoigu's first sighting since a rebellion.

Russian news agencies have previously shared prerecorded segments showing officials, including Putin, working in the Kremlin when in reality they may be elsewhere.

The video said Shoigu visited "the forward command post of one of the formations of the 'Western' group of troops." The defense minister could be seen riding in a vehicle and arriving at a command post, where he listens to reports from officers and looked over a battlefield map. The video contained no sound.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin called on Russia to unify behind Putin in the wake of the revolt.

"The consolidation of the whole of society is especially important; we need to act together, as one team, and maintain the unity of all forces, rallying around the president," he said in a televised meeting.

Prigozhin, fighting on behalf of Moscow against Ukraine, has frequently criticized Russia's military and its leadership for not having more success in Ukraine. He has also accused the Kremlin of not providing enough weapons for his private military organization.

Over the weekend, rebel Wagner members captured a city 120 miles from Moscow in protest before turning it back over. Putin, in the meantime, called Prigozhin a traitor and announced a deal to exile the mercenary leader to Belarus, one of Russia's few allies in its war against Ukraine.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin had placed restrictions against Wagner Group members over the weekend at the height of the rebellion but officially called off those limits on Monday.

In response to the rebellion, Russian Internet regulators blocked access to the VKontakte social network page for the Concord Group, a company owned by Prigozhin. Roskomnadzor, the Russian federal agency responsible for controlling and censoring mass media, had blocked access to Prigozhin's company page after the revolt.

Related Links
Space War News

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
WAR REPORT
Wagner mutiny shows invasion was mistake as UK set to train 17000 Ukrainian soldiers
Vilnius (AFP) June 26, 2023
NATO head Jens Stoltenberg on Monday said the weekend mutiny by mercenary troops in Russia showed that Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine was a "mistake". "We are monitoring the situation in Russia. The events over the weekend are an internal Russian matter, and yet another demonstration of the big strategic mistake that President Putin made with his illegal annexation of Crimea and the war against Ukraine," Stoltenberg told reporters. He spoke while on a visit to Lithuania - ... read more

WAR REPORT
New technology will let farmers produce their own fertilizer and e-fuels

Clean, sustainable fuels made 'from thin air' and plastic waste

In Iowa, Asa Hutchinson touts measured approach to green energy transition

Carbon mitigation payments can make bioenergy crops more appealing for farmers

WAR REPORT
NSU perovskite solar cells set new record for power conversion efficiency

Climate goals need clean energy surge in Global South: IEA

Launch of next generation photovoltaics lab

Boric acid-anchoring hole-selective contact for perovskite solar cells

WAR REPORT
New transmission line to carry wind energy electricity from Wyoming to Nevada

Brazil faces dilemma: endangered macaw vs. wind farm

Spire to provide TrueOcean with weather forecasts for offshore wind farm development

Sweden greenlights two offshore windpower farms

WAR REPORT
Big ideas but small steps at climate finance summit

The global search for cooling: an energy-demanding loop

Big ideas, small steps at climate finance summit

UK criticised for slow implementation of climate commitments

WAR REPORT
Towards efficient lithium-air batteries with solution plasma-based synthesis of perovskite hydroxide catalysts

Nobel-winning lithium battery inventor John Goodenough dies at 100

Ford-backed electric battery venture approved for $9.2bn US loan

How tidal range electricity generation could meet future demand and storage problems

WAR REPORT
Jumbo problem: Sri Lanka's battle with plastic pollution

'Time bomb'?: Race to identify health effects of microplastics

The global battle against 'forever' chemicals'

Rower ends EU tour to expose waterway pollution

WAR REPORT
OPEC: Oil demand to reach 110 million barrels by 2045

Indigenous defenders of oil in the Amazon

Dutch to shut Europe's biggest gas field after quakes

Church of England dumps all oil and gas investments

WAR REPORT
Persevering across the upper fan in search of record-keeping rocks

Touch and Go: Sol 3865

Rover on the home stretch to the Martian moon Phobos

Continuing along the alternate route: Sols 3861-3864

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2026 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.