Wagner Group rebellion

Wagner Group rebellion
Part of the Wagner Group–MoD conflict during the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Map of the Wagner Group's advances into Rostov-on-Don and towards Moscow after emerging from Russian-occupied Ukraine
Date23–24 June 2023 (2023-06-23 – 2023-06-24)
(1 day)
Location
Russia
Result Wagner mercenaries halt advance after ~23 hours and begin withdrawing at 11:00 p.m. local time (see: § Resolution)
Belligerents
 PMC Wagner

 Russia

Commanders and leaders
 Yevgeny Prigozhin
Strength
8,000–25,000[note 1] Unknown
Casualties and losses
2 killed[note 2]
Several wounded[3]
5 vehicles destroyed[note 3]		 13–29 killed[5][6]
1–6 helicopter(s) shot down[note 4]
1 Il-22M airborne command-center plane shot down
2 vehicles captured[note 5]

On 23 June 2023, the Wagner Group, a Russian private military company, staged an uprising against the Government of Russia. It marked the climax of the Wagner Group–Ministry of Defense conflict, which had begun about six months earlier. Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, who had been leading Wagner Group activities in Ukraine, stood down after reaching an agreement a day later.

Amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine,[7] Prigozhin had come to publicly express his resentment towards Minister of Defence Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov; he frequently blamed both men for Russia's military inadequacies, especially during the Wagner-led Battle of Bakhmut, and accused them of handing over "Russian territories" to the Ukrainians.[8] He portrayed the Wagner Group's rebellion as his response to the Russian Armed Forces allegedly attacking and killing hundreds of his Wagner mercenaries, which the Russian government denied. Characterizing it as a "march of justice" against the Russian military establishment, he demanded that Shoigu and Gerasimov be removed from their positions,[9] and eventually stated that Russia's justification for attacking Ukraine was a lie.[10] In the early morning of 24 June, President of Russia Vladimir Putin appeared in a televised address to denounce the Wagner Group's actions as treason before pledging to quell their uprising.[11]

Wagner mercenaries first seized Rostov-on-Don, where the Southern Military District is headquartered, while an armored column of theirs advanced through Voronezh Oblast and towards Moscow. Armed with mobile anti-aircraft systems, they repelled the Russian military's aerial attacks, which ultimately failed to deter the Wagner column's progress. Ground defenses were concentrated on the approach to Moscow, but before Wagner Group could reach them, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko brokered a settlement with Prigozhin, who subsequently agreed to halt the rebellion. In the late evening of 24 June, Wagner troops abandoned their push to Moscow and those who remained in Rostov-on-Don began withdrawing.

In accordance with Lukashenko's agreement, Russia's Federal Security Service, which had initiated a case to prosecute the Wagner Group for armed rebellion against the Russian state under Article 279 of the Criminal Code, dropped all charges against Prigozhin and his Wagner fighters on 27 June. By the end of the hostilities, at least thirteen Russian soldiers had been killed and several Wagner mercenaries had been injured;[5] Prigozhin stated that two defectors from the Russian military had been killed on Wagner's side as well.[3] On 23 August 2023, exactly two months after the rebellion, Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash alongside other senior Wagner officials.[12]

  1. ^ Riley-Smith, Ben; Freeman, Colin; Kilner, James (26 June 2023). "Russian agents' threat to family made Prigozhin call off Moscow advance". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 25 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023. It has also been assessed that the mercenary force had only 8,000 fighters rather than the 25,000 claimed
  2. ^ Williams, Tom; Nancarrow, Dan (24 June 2023). "Live: Wagner fighters allegedly march into Russia, with leader vowing to go 'all the way' against military". ABC News. Archived from the original on 26 June 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2023. Wagner is meant to be 25,000 with another 25,000 in Russia.
  3. ^ a b c Prigozhin, Yevgeny (26 June 2023). "'We did not want to spill Russian blood': Prigozhin makes statement on Wagner Group's mutiny attempt". Novaya Gazeta Europe. Novoya Gazeta Europe. Archived from the original on 26 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023. Several PMC Wagner fighters were injured. Two were killed — they were Russian Defence Ministry soldiers who joined us voluntarily.
  4. ^ a b "Chef's Special – Documenting Equipment Losses During The 2023 Wagner Group Mutiny". Oryxspioenkop. 24 June 2023. Archived from the original on 26 June 2023.
  5. ^ a b "LIVE — Wagner chief 'humiliated' Putin, Ukraine says". Deutsche Welle. 25 June 2023. Archived from the original on 25 June 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023. At least 13 Russian servicemen perished in the Wagner mercenary uprising, according to pro-Kremlin military bloggers. The number may have actually been more than 20, independent commentators reported on Sunday, citing the downing of six helicopters and a reconnaissance plane ...
  6. ^ Jennings, Gareth (26 June 2023). "Russian Air Force suffers significant losses in Wagner mutiny". Janes. Retrieved 27 June 2023. If correct, these aircraft losses would amount to about 29 VKS crew members killed (two for the Ka-52, three for each Mi-8 and the Mi-35, and 12 for the Il-22).
  7. ^ John, Tara (24 June 2023). "Wagner chief to leave Russia for Belarus in deal that ends armed insurrection, Kremlin says". CNN. Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  8. ^ Khaled, Fatma (23 June 2023). "Prigozhin Accuses Putin's Military Leaders of 'Genocide' Against Russians". Newsweek. Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  9. ^ O'Brien, Phillips (24 June 2023). "Prigozhin Planned This". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  10. ^ Sauer, Pjotr (23 June 2023). "Wagner chief accuses Moscow of lying to public about Ukraine". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  11. ^ Sauer, Pjotr; Roth, Andrew (24 June 2023). "Putin accuses Wagner chief of treason and vows to 'neutralise' uprising". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference Prigozhin dead was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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