It’s been one year since mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin mounted his brief armed rebellion in Russia, directly challenging Vladimir Putin’s rule.
The leader of the Kremlin-sponsored Wagner Group seized a military headquarters in the south and began marching toward Moscow to oust the Defence Ministry’s leaders.
For months in 2023, Prigozhin complained bitterly about the military brass denying his forces the ammunition that he said was in too short supply in Ukraine. In open political infighting, he blasted then-Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and General Staff chief General Valery Gerasimov in profane rants on social media, blaming them for military setbacks and accusing them of corruption.
The Defence Ministry's order for Wagner to sign contracts with the regular military appeared to be the final trigger for Prigozhin's rebellion on 23-24 June 2023.
His mercenaries swiftly took over Russia’s southern military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, reportedly hoping to capture Shoigu and Gerasimov. But they weren't there.
Prigozhin ordered his forces to roll toward Moscow, saying it wasn't a military coup but a "march of justice” to unseat his foes. The mercenaries downed several military aircraft en route, killing over a dozen pilots. Security forces in Moscow went on alert and checkpoints were set up on the southern outskirts.
At the height of the crisis, Putin went on TV and called the rebellion by his onetime protege a “betrayal” and “treason.” He vowed to punish those behind it.
But Prigozhin abruptly aborted the march hours later in an amnesty deal reportedly brokered by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko. The mercenary forces were offered a choice of moving to Belarus, retiring from service or signing contracts with the Russian Defence Ministry.
Prigozhin later said he launched the uprising after he “lost his temper” in the infighting with his foes. Some commentators said he apparently hoped to persuade Putin to take his side against the military brass.
Prigozhin killed in plane crash
Two months to the day after the rebellion, a business jet carrying Prigozhin and his top associates crashed while flying from Moscow to St. Petersburg, killing all seven passengers and a crew of three.
State investigators have yet to say what caused the crash.
A preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment concluded there was an intentional explosion on board. Western officials pointed to a long list of Putin foes who have been assassinated.
The Kremlin has denied involvement and rejected Western allegations that Putin was behind it as an “absolute lie.”
Prigozhin was buried in his hometown of St. Petersburg in a private ceremony.
