It was a sudden, surprising and chaotic rebellion that few seemed to have expected. On Friday night, the leader of Russia’s armed mercenaries, the Wagner group, suggested his soldiers fighting in Ukraine had been attacked by their own side – the Russian military. By Saturday morning, the group had taken over a town in Russia. From there, the group’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, issued more threats and soon they were marching on Moscow, killing Russian soldiers on the way.
In response, Vladimir Putin issued furious statements heavy with threats. But then, just as soon as the mutiny started, it was over. The Belarusian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, announced he had brokered a deal between the two sides and that Prigozhin had agreed to go into exile in Belarus. No action would be taken against Wagner fighters.
The Guardian’s Moscow correspondent, Andrew Roth, tells Nosheen Iqbal that he watched events unfolding in astonishment. He explains what was behind Prigozhin’s move against Moscow and why it came to such a sudden halt. While the situation may be calmer now, the events of the weekend have led to questions about whether Putin’s grip on power is weakening. What does all this mean for Russia – and its war in Ukraine?
Photograph: Roman Romokhov/AFP/Getty Images
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