Between Ukrainian operations and power plots: the voices that can weaken Putin
Something is moving in Russia. Rumors continue to chase each other on possible developments. On the one hand, the indiscretion that comes from none other than America on azUkrainian ion regarding the killing of the daughter of Vladimir Putin’s ideologist Dugin. Beware of interpreting it as a positive development for a Putin seeking excuses to increase the intensity and degree of military action against Kiev. If anything, it appears a sign of weakness that someone could pick up in Russia, considering that therefore the Kremlin is unable to guarantee that Ukraine does not strike on Russian soil.
And then, above all, there are maneuvers involving the Ministry of Defense. Sergej Shougu, who is very loyal to Putin, has been targeted. But it could just be the start of the game. Andrey Kartapolov, head of the State Duma Committee on Defensecriticized the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation for failing to report the full truth about the military action in Ukraine, according to Russian independent English-language media Meduza.
“They have to stop lying. We’ve talked about it more than once. But somehow it doesn’t get to the individual leaders. I was reading the Soviet Intelligence Bureau reports from 1941, when the Germans broke through in Moscow. They openly said we were withdrawing.” But in every report it was said that the so-and-so brigade had achieved something, that our pilots had destroyed so many, that our losses had been so many. And the people understood the danger, they understood that the enemy was on our territory. now the enemy is on our territory, “said Kartapolov on the TV show Solovyov Live.
According to Kartapolov, all the border towns of the Russian Belgorod region are practically destroyed, and the Russians learn about it “from whoever is comfortable”, including local governors and pro-Kremlin war bloggers, but not from Defense Ministry reports. “The people know this. Our people are not stupid. They see that the authorities do not want to tell them even part of the truth. This can lead to a loss of credibility,” he added.
Prigozhin, the man of the Wagner group, comes out of the shadows
A signal that the challenge is open. In the background stands the figure of Evgenij Prigozhin. After years of vehement denials, last week Prigozhin, a close ally of Putin, admitted that he founded the Wagner Group, a Russian mercenary organization that has been deployed around the world, including in Ukraine. The admission is a sharp turn for Prigozhin, who has sued reporters for linking him to the group, accused of committing serious human rights abuses in Africa, Syria and Ukraine.
The businessman’s commitment to luster his credentials as a commander comes at a time when Putin is under increasing pressure, with the Russian military plagued by low morale and high death tolls, driving to speculate on Prigozhin’s own future ambitions. Prigozhin’s decision to step out of the shadows sparked speculation that he might try to position himself for a more formal role in public life.as Foreign Policy points out, taking advantage of the chaos and uncertainty brought about by the war.
Over the weekend, as Ukrainian forces recaptured Lyman’s strategic hub in the Donetsk region, Prigozhin took the unusual step of siding with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov by criticizing the Russian military’s execution of the war, in remarks. which were then amplified by Russian state TV. For example, he could aim at the Ministry of Defense, to be granted perhaps to his ally Aleksej Dumin, but there are also those who argue that he is starting to use the army and conscripts as Lenin did in his time against the tsars. Ergo, he could aspire even higher in a hypothetical Russia without Putin.
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