British security authorities have come up with a new analysis amid speculation over the background of the sudden decision to withdraw from the Russian mercenary company Wagner Group, which advanced as far as Moscow, the capital.
The British daily Telegraph reported on the 25th (local time), citing a security source in the country, that “before the Wagner group gave up its advance on Moscow, Russian intelligence agencies threatened to harm the Wagner chief’s family.”
It is said that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group, may have chosen to withdraw after being threatened by the Russian government, which held his family hostage.
The source also claimed that 8,000 mercenaries from Wagner’s group were committed to the armed rebellion, far short of Prigozin’s claim of 25,000.
Therefore, even if Prigogine actually tried to take over Moscow, he added that it would have been virtually impossible to succeed.
The Telegraph said the analysis provided some clues to the “mystery” of Prigogin’s withdrawal.
Previously, Prigozhin raised an armed rebellion saying that the head of the Russian Ministry of Defense should be ousted, and on the 24th, a day later메이저사이트, he suddenly announced his withdrawal.
Regarding the background of the sudden withdrawal, the Kremlin said authorities had decided to drop the criminal case against Prigozhin and that he was leaving for Belarus.
However, there was an opinion that it was difficult to understand this as Prigozhin, who had been advancing relentlessly to a place only a few hours away from Moscow, withdrew without much resistance.
In particular, doubts grew as the government’s actions regarding the move of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, which Prigozhin had been demanding for his resignation, were not disclosed. According to ABC
News, senior US officials also expressed some skepticism about the decision, given that Prigogine had the upper hand. The official explained that Prigozhin “stopped the advance on Moscow is a mystery” and that “he was hailed as a hero in Rostov-on-Don”. However, he speculated that Prigozhin “was in an emotional state” and thought that continuing the rebellion could destroy Russia or recalled his own fate. He also mentioned that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s persuasion of Prigozhin and Russian President Vladimir Putin was quite effective. The details of the transaction that led to Prigogine’s withdrawal remain unknown. The Telegraph reported that Prigozin did not comment on speculation by British security authorities, and it was not clear whether Shoigu would be fired. According to ABC , the United States believes that there must have been concessions from President Putin about the future of Minister Shoigu and other related figures. acui721
