Explained: ‘End of Putin’? How will the Wagner uprising impact the Russian president?
2 min read 26 Jun 2023, 08:16 AM ISTThe failed rebellion by the Wagner troops in Russia has raised concerns and uncertainty, posing a challenge to President Vladimir Putin's authority.
PremiumThe recent episode involving the Wagner troops, a group of rebellious mercenary soldiers in Russia, has raised significant concerns and created a wave of uncertainty. Their bold march towards Moscow sent shockwaves through the country and posed a formidable challenge to President Vladimir Putin's authority at a time when his forces were already engaged in a fierce counteroffensive in Ukraine.
As Nick Paton Walsh puts it on CNN, it “feels like the beginning of the end for Putin", who looks “the weakest yet in 23 years".
Led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner troops initiated the uprising on June 24 but eventually decided to retreat, de-escalating the situation and avoiding further bloodshed.
The details of the agreement brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, which ended the crisis, remain scarce. Prigozhin, who played a prominent role in the failed revolt, is expected to go into exile in Belarus and evade prosecution.
Watch: ‘Shame..traitor’ Russians vent anger at police after Wagner forces leave Rostov
The sudden turn of events has left many questions unanswered. Both Prigozhin and Putin have remained silent, while top Russian military leaders have refrained from making any public statements.
The rebellion has exposed vulnerabilities within Russia's security and military forces, as the Wagner troops reportedly downed several helicopters and a military communications plane during their largely unopposed advance.
While describing the weekend’s events as “extraordinary," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, “I think we’ve seen more cracks emerge in the Russian façade.
“It is too soon to tell exactly where they go and when they get there, but certainly we have all sorts of new questions that Putin is going to have to address in the weeks and months ahead," Associated Press quoted him as saying.
The impact of this short-lived revolt on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine remains uncertain. However, it has resulted in the withdrawal of some of Russia's most formidable forces, including the highly effective Wagner troops, who previously secured the Kremlin's only land victory in months. Additionally, Chechen soldiers were deployed to halt the Wagner troops' advance towards Moscow.
Experts have highlighted the potential damage inflicted by the Wagner forces on the Russian aerospace forces, emphasising the significance of their actions.
The Ukrainian military sees this internal strife within Russia as an opportunity to regain territory seized by Russian forces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asserted that the rebellion exposed the weaknesses of Putin's regime.
Under the terms of the agreement, Wagner troops who did not support the uprising will be offered contracts directly with the Russian military, thereby placing them under the control of the military leadership that Prigozhin aimed to remove. The repercussions for Prigozhin and his remaining fighters, as well as the future implications for Ukraine, are still uncertain.
(With AP inputs)
