Information provocation
The Russian Ministry of Defense described the messages and videos on social networks on behalf of Wagner Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the private military company (PMC), about the allegation that “a blow was dealt to the rear camps of PMC Wagner” by the RF, as an “information provocation”. Ministry of Defense.
This information is not correct declaration on the department’s official Telegram channel.
As the Ministry of Defense emphasized, the RF Armed Forces carry out combat missions in the field of special military operations, on the line of contact with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
According to the Ministry of Defense, Russian troops carried out a series of attacks on the missile storage depots of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Russian Armed Forces artillery also blew up an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Avdiyivka in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR).
up to 20 years in prison
Russian Presidential Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Putin was briefed on the situation around Wagner PMC head Yevgeny Prigozhin. “Necessary measures are being taken,” the Kremlin spokesman said.
According to the National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAC), the Federal Security Service (FSB) launched a criminal investigation after Prigozhin’s statements. The committee emphasized that “the allegations made on behalf of Yevgeny Prigozhin have no basis”.
The NAC announced that in connection with Prigozhin’s statements, the FSB filed a case of incitement to armed insurrection. The committee also demanded that Prigozhin immediately stop the illegal actions.
“Prigozhin’s statements are a call for internal conflict and a stab in the back of the RF Armed Forces,” the FSB said.
Also, the FSB urged Wagner’s fighters to disobey Prigozhin’s orders and arrest him.
“We call on the PMC fighters not to make an irreparable mistake, to stop any coercive action against the Russian people, not to carry out the murderous and treacherous orders of Prigozhin, to take measures to arrest him.” — says In an FSB statement quoted by Interfax.
Then, on the official Telegram channel of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia, it was reported that the Investigative Department of the FSB of the Russian Federation legally and rightfully filed a lawsuit against the head of the Wagner PMC. The case was included in Art. 279 of the Criminal Code (“Armed rebellion”). The maximum prison sentence is 20 years, a minimum of 12 years.
General Sergei Surovikin recorded a video message urging the Wagner PMC to stop, “because the enemy is just waiting for the domestic political situation to worsen.” He also demanded that they lay down their weapons and return to their places of deployment and resolve the issues peacefully under Putin’s leadership.
Also, a video message was issued by the military commander Alexander Kots from the first deputy head of the GRU, Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseev, to the “Wagnerians”.
“Our country is in a difficult situation right now, such things that you have just started to implement will cause great losses, especially political ones. Imagine how enthusiastically the West would perceive what you are trying to do now,” Alekseev said.
Prigozhin’s remarks
On the evening of June 23, on the Telegram channel of the press service of the founder of PMC “Wagner” seen voicemail. In it, Prigozhin accused the leadership of the Russian Ministry of Defense of carrying out rocket attacks from helicopters on PMC fighters located in the rear camps. According to Prigozhin, as a result of the strike, “a large number of our fighters, our comrades in arms were killed.” Prigogine promised a retaliatory attack.
Then Prigozhin warned: 25 thousand people will find out “why there is chaos in the country.” “We need to put an end to this mess,” he said. What kind of lawlessness is involved, Wagner’s chairman has not disclosed.
In the second half of January 2023, Kremlin spokesman Peskov said that media reports on the conflict between the Ministry of Defense and Prigozhin are sometimes “products of information manipulation” organized by information opponents, sometimes “our friends themselves behave like this.” that there is no need for enemies.”
On June 13, Putin said that Wagnerists and voluntary military organizations should sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense. To do this, according to him, it is necessary to amend the legislation in such a way as to give these entities the necessary legal status.
On June 10, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu signed an order mandating the voluntary detachments to sign contracts with the defense ministry by July 1, 2023. According to the ministry, by June 22, about 20 entities had signed such agreements. Among them there is no Wagner PMC.