The chairman of the Wagner Group, Evgeny Prigozhin, accused the Russian Army of bombarding Wagner positions in Ukraine and vowed to hold those responsible accountable for the crisis. He issued his threats via messaging platforms, demanding punishment for those who harmed Russian civilians and soldiers. He warned that the forces of the Defense Ministry must not resist Wagner, or they would be removed from the field. The remarks sparked a strong reaction across social networks and raised questions about coordination between rival military factions on the ground.
According to official channels, Russia’s Defense Ministry dismissed the reports circulating on Friday as false and described them as provocative misinformation. The ministry stated that messages and videos attributed to Prigozhin about an alleged strike by the Russian armed forces against Wagner camps do not reflect reality and are part of an informational provocation. This denial came as state authorities sought to manage the narrative surrounding the escalating tensions within wartime operations. [Attribution: Russian Defense Ministry]
In a separate development, Russia’s Federal Security Service opened a criminal case against Prigozhin for incitement to armed rebellion. The accusation contends that statements attributed to Prigozhin called for armed insurrection, prompting a formal response from the National Anti-Terrorism Committee. State media agency TASS reported the charges as baseless while noting the ongoing investigation. [Attribution: TASS/National Anti-Terrorism Committee]
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that President Vladimir Putin was kept informed, and an official briefing via Interfax indicated that authorities were monitoring the situation without offering further details. The Defense Ministry later stated that the Russian Armed Forces continue to carry out their missions along the front line in what Moscow terms a special military operation, a euphemism used for the conflict in Ukraine.
Attack on the training ground
Earlier, a Telegram channel tied to the Wagner group claimed a missile strike on training grounds had caused many casualties. The post asserted that the assault originated from soldiers in the Russian Defense Ministry, claiming a coup was executed from within the military. The assertions contributed to the growing sense of chaos and confusion surrounding the war’s command structure.
The Wagner Group responded by forecasting a large force, reportedly numbering up to 25,000 fighters, and pledged to uncover the reasons behind the turmoil while maintaining that their actions would align with their own sense of justice. The organization insisted it would bring an end to the disgrace it described and signaled that it would act against those responsible for the breakdown in discipline. In parallel, Defense Minister Shoigu was reportedly the target of harsh rhetoric from Wagner’s leadership, with the group accusing him of retreating and failing to disclose the rationale behind certain military decisions. [Attribution: Wagner Group statements]
The Wagner leadership, which had aligned with Russia in the broader conflict in Ukraine, also voiced sharp criticism at other senior military officials. Among the targets of this critique was Shoigu, who faced allegations related to supply shortages and ammunition during battles such as Bakhmut. The intrafaction exchanges reflected a broader strain within Russia’s wartime command structure as frontline pressures mounted.
Prigozhin asserted that Kremlin dynamics and the Defense Ministry pressured President Putin to strike at Ukraine, while arguing that Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, played no real role in the threat narrative that was being pushed in certain circles. The ongoing exchanges underscored a volatile dynamic between the mercenary group and the official military leadership, a situation watched closely by international observers monitoring the conflict. [Attribution: Interfax/Reuters summaries]