Russian attack | ISW: Prigozhin is scheming with Ukraine to get back into Putin’s favor

Foreign countries|Russian invasion

Mercenary army Wagner’s director Yevgeny Prigozhin the alleged offer of barter with Ukraine is hardly an attempt to act as president Vladimir Putin against, estimates the US think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in its daily in his review.

ISW estimates that the matter is more related to Prigozhin’s hatred towards the Russian military command, i.e. the Ministry of Defense, and would actually be an attempt to get back into Putin’s favor.

Newspaper The Washington Post reported on Monday, based on a US Department of Defense intelligence leak, that Prigozhin proposed to reveal Russian troop positions to Ukrainian intelligence if Ukraine withdrew its troops from Bahmut. Ukraine refused the offer.

ISW estimates that if Prigozhin’s proposal is true and passed, it would have made him look good in Putin’s eyes, as the Wagner forces would have gained control of Bahmut but the Russian Armed Forces would have suffered losses.

Kremlin is, according to ISW, likely to have known or at least suspected Prigozhin of behind-the-scenes communication with Ukraine and is therefore hardly startled by The Washington Post’s news.

ISW also estimates that the Kremlin is likely prepared to tarnish Prigozhin’s reputation but is unlikely to do so as long as the Wagner forces are in key positions on the front.