This past weekend, the Russian government experienced the most direct challenge to its rule since the fall of Soviet Union in 1991 when the head of the mercenary Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, took control of some Russian cities and ordered his troops to advance towards Moscow. The advance was called off after Prigozhin agreed to an agreement brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, with the Wagner Group withdrawing from occupied cities and the criminal charges against Prigozhin dropped.
The Wagner Group is a private military company (PMC) that since 2014 has operated closely with the Russian government and other governments in operations across the world, from the Central African Republic to Syria to Venezuela. Wagner troops have been heavily involved in the war in Ukraine, with some troops suspected of committing war crimes in the course of the war. Prigozhin is known for recruiting from prisons to fill his ranks, with the promise of amnesty after a six-month deployment.
Prigozhin had long been one of Putin’s closest associates, originally heading a catering company with a number of government and military contracts. Since then, he has transformed Wagner Group into a military juggernaut, which this weekend challenged the Russian military for dominance. Prigozhin has for months expressed frustration with the leadership of the Russian military, claiming they have mishandled the war and failed to provide his troops ammunition.
While the attempted rebellion failed to take control of the Russian government or depose top military leaders, it was the greatest internal challenge to Putin’s rule since he first took power in 2000.
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