What Prigozhin's March Taught Us About Putin's Russia

What Prigozhin’s March Taught Us About Putin’s Russia

MOSCOW, RUSSIA – JUNE 24: Russian police stand at a checkpoint on a road entering on June 24, 2023 in Moscow, Russia. The Wagner Group, an independent army led by former Putin ally Yevgeny Prigozhin, has vowed to “go all the way” to Moscow to topple Russia’s military leadership. The group who had been fighting in Ukraine crossed the border back to Russia and have taken control of Rostov-on-Don, which is the Russian control centre for the war in Ukraine. (Photo by Epsilon/Getty Images)

Posted: June 30th, 2023

CIPHER BRIEF REPORTING & EXPERT ANALYSIS – Just a week after Wagner Group Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin launched the final mission of his mercenary career in the form of a revolt against Russia’s leadership, President Vladimir Putin is moving swiftly to identify and punish those who may have helped while western experts assess the fissures in Putin’s regime.

After a months-long feud between Prigozhin and Russia’s defense ministry, Prigozhin’s mutinous revolt brought thousands of mercenaries within a few hundred miles of Moscow. And then, they stopped. Prigozhin’s forces halted their advance and headed back to their bases, as Prigozhin himself accepted a deal that sent him into an uneasy exile.

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