Vladimir Putin had been informed of Yevgeny Prigozhin's intentions «at least a day before» . This was reported by US intelligence sources to the Washington Post, according to which the CIA also knew of the attack plans of the mercenaries of the Wagner Group who marched on Moscow on Saturday, in an attempt to implement a coup, except to stop 200 km from the capital " to avoid bloodshed."
However, it is not clear why the Kremlin leader did not act to counter the attempted rebellion. However , it is known that the Russian authorities will not prosecute the mercenaries . And their leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin , will also have a sort of immunity: the criminal investigation against him will be suspended and the former "Putin's cook" will go to Belarus in a sort of exile.
This was announced by the Kremlin, through its spokesman Dmitri Peskov, explaining that "avoiding bloodshed, internal conflicts and clashes with unpredictable results was the most important objective".
"An agreement was reached (brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko , ed.) that Wagner would return to its basics," Peskov added, noting that those fighters who did not participate in the rebellion will be allowed to formally join the russian army.
In the aftermath of the advance, later interrupted, towards Moscow, Vladimir Putin returned to speak. «The priority remains the special military operation in Ukraine. This is how I begin my day and this is how I end it», said the Russian president in an interview with Rossiya 1 (however recorded on June 21).
But the situation in Russia is more chaotic than ever . And one wonders what the putsch attempt led by Prigozhin really meant. So many questions and hypotheses.
Perhaps the head of Wagner is being used by someone at a high level - perhaps a group of oligarchs disgruntled with the progress of the conflict in Ukraine - to eliminate President Vladimir Putin ? Or is the Kremlin itself using a long-time trusted ally for purposes that are currently unclear? Someone thinks of a general mobilization, otherwise difficult for the population to digest, or of the possibility for Putin himself to present himself - in the eyes of the Russians but also of the whole world - as the true moderate leader capable of curbing extremist impulses.
Others are thinking of a move designed to torpedo Defense Minister Shoigu , against whom the Wagner chief himself has lashed out in recent months after the failed military strategy in Ukraine.
Certainly what has happened and will happen in Russia is kept under constant monitoring by international intelligence , starting with Western ones.
During Wagner's advance towards Moscow there were very high-level contacts between the G7 countries, US President Joe Biden held talks with German Chancellor Olaf Sholz, with French leader Emmanuel Macron and with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. And the latter convened the Cobra emergency committee, as happens only in moments of maximum tension and danger.
The fears are, also and above all, for Russian armaments, including nuclear ones.
And the discovery, during the search of the Trezzini Hotel in St. Petersburg, believed to be Prigozhin's office, of cash for the value of 4 billion rubles, about 44 million euros , is a mystery. This was reported by a correspondent of Fontanka, the Russian investigative journalism media. Where the money came from, who it belonged to and what it was intended for is not yet clear, for now there are only theories. Prigozhin confirmed the information: the money "was to be used to pay salaries, the so-called 'Cargo 200' compensation (for fighters' families, ed.) and other issues".
(Unioneonline/lf)