Russia coup: Key facts about the Wagner rebellion

The Russian Military Faces Unprecedented Challenge as Private Mercenary Group Rebels

The Russian military was thrown into disarray after the leader of a private mercenary group rebelled against the Kremlin on Friday, marking the greatest challenge to President Vladimir Putin’s leadership in over two decades.

Russian General, Gun in Hand, Urges Wagner Group to Stand Down: ‘Stop the Columns’

Here’s what we know so far about the uprising:

Why did Wagner mercenaries revolt?

The revolt comes after Prigozhin accused the Russian military of attacking his Wagner military forces on Friday, vowing to retaliate against the Kremlin. The Wagner leader accused the Russian military of killing a “huge amount” of his men, warning he would “destroy” any resistance to their group.

“There are 25,000 of us, and we are going to find out why there is such chaos in the country,” Prigozhin said.

The group of mercenaries then marched to Rostov-on-Don, with Prigozhin releasing a video saying they would blockade the area until Russia’s top military generals came to meet with them.

Who is the Wagner group?

The Wagner Group is a private military organization connected to Putin’s former close ally Yevgeny Prigozhin.

The Wagner forces played a key role in the Russian offensive of the Ukrainian war by capturing the eastern city of Bakhmut, where the bloodiest and longest battles have taken place.

Prigozhin founded Wagner to fight battles in eastern Ukraine as well as other Russian battles across the world. However, Prigozhin has increasingly criticized the Russian military, accusing it of incompetence and of starving his troops of munitions.

How did Putin respond?

Putin responded to the internal mutiny on Friday evening, calling the rebellion a “betrayal” that amounts to “treason.”

“Those who carry deliberately on a path of treason, preparing an armed rebellion when you were preparing terrorist attacks, will be punished,” Putin said. “Any internal turmoil is a deadly threat to our statehood for us as a nation; it is a blow to Russia for our people and our actions to protect our homeland. Such a threat will face a severe response.”

Russia’s defense military has denied reports that it had opened fire on the Wagner group, calling the accusations “informational propaganda.”

The plane belonging to Putin was later reported to have left Moscow to head toward St. Petersburg, indicating the Russian leader is attempting to distance himself from the unrest.

How did Ukraine respond?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to the internal rebellion on Saturday, criticizing the “stupidity” of Russia’s government and claiming its “weakness” has been exposed by the uprising.

“[Russian President Vladimir Putin] despises people and throws hundreds of thousands into the war — in order to eventually barricade himself in the Moscow region from those whom he himself armed,” Zelensky wrote in a Telegram post.

What happens now?

Wagner mercenaries are currently heading toward Moscow as they continue to advance into Russian territory.

Russian military forces have reportedly opened fire on the group, according to Reuters. The attack comes after Putin vowed to crush any rebellious mutiny against the Kremlin.

Putin compared the revolt to Russia’s own civil war in 1917, which occurred after the Bolsheviks overthrew Tsar Nicholas II of Russia during World War I. That attack ignited a war within the country and eventually led to the creation of the Soviet Union.

“This was the same kind of blow that Russia felt in 1917 when the country entered World War I, but had victory stolen from it,” Putin said. “Intrigues, squabbles, politicking behind the backs of the army and the people turned out to be the greatest shock, the destruction of the army, the collapse of the state, the loss of vast territories, and in the end, the tragedy and civil war. Russians killed Russians, brothers killed brothers.”

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