The discord between the mercenary group and the military has undermined the theme of unity emphasised by Putin. Read more at straitstimes.com.
On Tuesday, Mr Yevgeny Prigozhin went further than he ever had in his public standoff with Russia’s military leaders, claiming the defence minister and the country’s most senior general were starving his private army of ammunition.By Thursday, the acrimonious and very public dispute appeared to have subsided, with Mr Prigozhin sayingnow had the ammunition it desperately needed.
The Defence Ministry picked up the gauntlet. In a rare public response that evening, the ministry denied the accusations, and indirectly accused Mr Prigozhin of aiding the enemy by damaging the unity of Russian forces. “We were told that the loading of ammunition has begun,” he said, referring to the warehouses. “From the guys, thank you.”After operating for years in secrecy, Mr Prigozhin stepped on the public scene this past summer as the Russian invasion of Ukraine sputtered. He skilfully used social media, an ecosystem of troll farms and online propaganda outlets to paint a picture of himself as a straight-talking patriot who was prepared to achieve Russia’s military objectives at any cost.
For months, Wagner-affiliated social media accounts have accused Russia’s senior military command of sapping their forces’ strength through costly operational and planning mistakes. Mr Prigozhin had supported those accusations in oblique comments, but in January his tone became increasingly direct and confrontational.
Some analysts said Mr Prigozhin has turned Russia’s unpopular commanders into targets to boost his public profile, a sign of his growing political ambitions – and that he has suffered a backlash as other commanders try to lessen his power. Others have attributed the tensions to the usual rivalries for Mr Putin’s favour among officials and businessmen.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Putin suspends nuclear pact, Biden says support for Ukraine 'will not waver'WARSAW/MOSCOW — US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin have been sparring verbally, presenting starkly different views of the world and the Ukraine war, Biden promising to defend democracies and Putin asserting the West was a threat to Russia. In speeches just hours apart on Tuesday (Feb 21), Putin in Moscow delivered a warning to the West over...
Read more »
China says Russia ties ‘solid as rock’ amid Ukraine peace pushTop diplomat Wang Yi said China sought to 'promote mutually beneficial cooperation in all areas'. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Read more »
Ukraine war is bringing the world back to the Cold War’s bipolar disorderAnother Cold War won't necessarily spell the end of the world, but it would require new approaches. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Read more »
Three ways to bring Russians to justice over war crimes in Ukraine: US officialThese are Ukraine’s own courts; the International Criminal Court; and others around the world. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Read more »
For two Russian women, the war in Ukraine stirs pride or fearThe views of Russia’s 145 million people about the war are still difficult to discern. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Read more »
Life and death in shattered Mariupol: A survivor's tale of war in UkraineMARIUPOL, Russian-controlled Ukraine - Shells were exploding nearby but Tatiana Bushlanova didn't flinch when she spoke to Reuters in front of the shattered remains of her home in Mariupol last May. Fighting in the port city has long since ended but the pensioner is still struggling to take in the enormity of what has happened. Mariupol's strategic location on the...
Read more »