Although Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Russian "Wagner Group", was killed, his attempt to rebel against the regime of Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin demonstrated the weakness of Russia's leadership.
Points of attention
- Prigozhin's mutiny demonstrated the weakness of Russia's leadership and could be the beginning of the end of Putin's regime.
- Even after the coup attempt, Prigozhin agreed with Putin, indicating internal contradictions in the Russian elite.
- The plane crash with Prigozhin on board opened the eyes of the world to the fundamental weakness of Putin's rule and the violation of his word by the country's leader.
- Although the immediate threat was neutralised with Prigozhin, it caused uncertainty among the Russian elite about Putin's actions, which could lead to a large-scale collapse of Putin's power.
- Journalists emphasised that Prigozhin's rebellion could have far-reaching consequences and reflect on the future political landscape in Russia.
How did Prigozhin's mutiny become the first sign of the downfall of Putin's regime?
Journalists of the publication note that after Prigozhin's attempted rebellion against Putin's regime, his chances of survival were minimal.
However, the now-deceased leader of the "Wagner Group" then managed to reach an agreement with the Kremlin dictator and obtain an amnesty.
Even if the purpose of Prigozhin's mutiny was to force Putin to release Shoigu, even if he had no intention of taking power into his own hands, his mutiny was a challenge to Putin and the Kremlin. As long as he lived after that, the specter of the revolution haunted Russia, the publication says.
The authors of the article emphasise that despite Putin's denial of his involvement in the plane crash with Prigozhin on board, it is pretty likely that it was his revenge on the leader of the Wagner PMC.
Could Prigozhin's rebellion eventually lead to a large-scale uprising in Russia?
At the same time, although the ruler of the Russian Federation neutralised the immediate threat, the incident with Prigozhin instilled distrust in Putin among the Russian elite and showed the world the fundamental weakness of Putin's rule.
Putin may break his word with outsiders, even blithely ignore international law, but the plane crash was the first time he clearly went against his commitments. The elite, of course, obeyed. After all, in their view, the old man simply killed Prigozhin. But the feeling that Putin is no longer the Putin of former years, who expertly manages the system, was widespread — and perhaps will haunt him more than once, — the authors of the material emphasise.
Journalists point out that Prigozhin may yet go down in history as the first to throw a stone at the criminal Kremlin regime, subsequently causing a large-scale collapse of Putin's power.
