Summary
Highlights
On June 24, 2023, Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the private militia Wagner Group, led his troops in a march towards Moscow, seizing a military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don. This act surprised the world, as Prigozhin had been a trusted ally of Vladimir Putin, representing a direct threat from within Putin's inner circle.
The story begins with the KGB, the Soviet Union's intelligence service, designed to maintain the top leaders' power and spy on the military. After the Soviet Union's collapse, the KGB was broken into smaller agencies, leaving a weak security apparatus. Vladimir Putin, a former KGB officer, rose through these ranks, eventually becoming president. He immediately consolidated power by bringing the FSB (most resembling the old KGB) under his direct command, expanding its responsibilities, and using it to eliminate political rivals and challenge oligarchs.
Putin elevated various security services to create a 'wall' of thousands of spies, police, and soldiers loyal to him. Members and former members of these services, known as the 'siloviki,' formed Putin's inner circle. To prevent internal threats, Putin employs tactics like giving security services overlapping responsibilities to foster competition, encouraging them to spy on each other, and frequently purging personnel to maintain loyalty and prevent anyone from becoming too powerful.
Putin allowed the formation of the Wagner Group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a former criminal and entrepreneur. Wagner served as a useful tool for Russia's foreign policy objectives. However, Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 exposed weaknesses in the military, which Prigozhin exploited to elevate Wagner's role, particularly in battles like Bakhmut. Prigozhin began publicly criticizing military leaders, a feud that Putin initially allowed to escalate, playing both sides against each other.
In June 2023, the military leadership's attempt to absorb Wagner's troops led to Prigozhin's rebellion. While Prigozhin eventually agreed to surrender before reaching Moscow, the mutiny exposed significant cracks in Putin's 'wall' of protection. The security services did not effectively stop Wagner's advance, and many key leaders were absent. This event suggested that Putin's grip on power might be weaker than perceived, as his strategy of fostering rivalries backfired, revealing a potential vulnerability from within his own system.