Is Putin planning revenge? The case against Yevgeny Prigozhin has not been closed, the Kommersant newspaper reported this morning. According to the Moscow newspaper, the case for armed sedition (Article 297 of the Penal Code) is ongoing and is being handled by the Directorate of Investigations of the Federal Security Services of Russia.
The case was supposed to be closed as part of the agreement, which was reached on Saturday evening by the Kremlin and Wagner Force chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. According to the summary, the investigation that was opened that same morning was supposed to be closed, and Prigozhin would arrive in Belarus, under the protection of dictator Alexander Lukashenko, who mediated between the sides.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu tours the front lines of the fighting in Ukraine
A few hours later, Prigozhin left the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov, which his men had captured without resistance in the light of Saturday, and drove in an unknown direction. Since then, as of this writing, he has not been seen in public. Some experts claimed that he was stationed in Belarus, while others noted that he may have gone to join his forces in Africa.
The move against Prigozhin comes as Kremlin-affiliated military bloggers reported punishments, including executions, for Russian soldiers who swore allegiance to the Wagner force leader and participated effectively in the insurgency he led last week. Several videos were posted online showing soldiers being shot dead after a field trial by their comrades-in-arms. In addition, intelligence sources in Britain reported that the Russian security services threatened to harm the families of senior Wagner officials during the uprising, and this action may have played a role in Prigozhin's decision to end the uprising.
Wagner's tank in Rostov, photo: AP
Meanwhile, the first video showing Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was posted today and circulated on social media, after the man had not been seen in public at all since the uprising broke out on Friday. In the video, Shoigu is seen visiting commanders and soldiers on the front lines of the fighting in Ukraine and addressing what is happening on the front. However, Russian media were quick to report that the video was filmed before the uprising broke out. According to various reports in Russia, Shoigu is in danger of being ousted by President Putin, as part of the agreement with Prigozhin and the minister has been placed under the protection of members of the Federal Security Service.
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