It was the 24 hours that perplexed the world.
When mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin’s long-standing feud with the Russian Defense Ministry escalated last weekend with his Wagner forces seizing a military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don and then rolling toward Moscow, many wondered whether Russia was about to descend into warlordism and possibly civil war.
And when just a day later, Prigozhin retreated and went into exile in Belarus, many were asking: what the hell just happened?
The aftermath of Prigozhin’s rebellion leaves many questions: To what extent will this weaken Putin’s authority? Will Putin use it to purge the elite? What will happen to Prigozhin? And what effect will it have on Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine?
But one thing is certain: we are now in uncharted territory in Putin’s 23-year reign. So what happens next? On The Power Vertical Podcast this week, host Brian Whitmore speaks with James Sherr, a Senior Fellow at the International Center for Defense and Security in Tallinn, and Konstantin Eggert, a columnist on Russian affairs for Deutsche Welle, to break it all down. Enjoy…
SHOW NOTES
The audio clip opening the podcast comes from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s speech on June 24. The translation is as follows:
“We will protect our people and our statehood from any threats, including from internal betrayal. What we are facing is essentially a betrayal. Inflated ambitions and personal interests have led to treason.“
The audio clip opening the second segment of the podcast comes from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s speech on June 24. The translation is as follows:
“Today is a day when there definitely should be no silence. And we definitely need leadership. Today the world saw that the bosses of Russia do not control anything. Nothing at all. Complete chaos.”
The interview with Konstantin Eggert on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that was referenced in the podcast can be accessed here. Recent commentaries by Konstantin Eggert about Prigozhin’s rebellion can be found here, here, and here.
James Sherr’s recent work can be accessed here and here.
A report by military analyst Alexander Goltz analyzing the battle between Yevgeny Progozhin and the Russian Defense Ministry can be accessed here. An article by RFE/RL journalist Mike Eckel looking at the possibility of a purge in the Russian elite can be accessed here.