The Kremlin is trying to signal that Shoigu will keep his position for now and that Putin will not give in to Prigozhin’s blackmail attempt.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has yet to replace the head of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Sergei Shoigu, so as not to appear to be complying with the request of the head of the PMC Wagner Evgeny Prigogine. This is stated in the Institute for the Study of War ISW.
The Kremlin is likely trying to make it clear that Shoigu will keep his position for now and that Putin will not fall for Prigozhin’s blackmail attempt.
According to ISW analysts, this is confirmed by the message of the Russian Ministry of Defense that on June 26 Shoigu visited an unknown forward command post of the Western Group of Russian Forces in Ukraine. This was his first public appearance since Prigozhin’s march to Rostov-on-Don and to Moscow.
Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that the Western Group of Forces was operating on the Kupyansk-Svatovo line in the Kharkiv and Lugansk regions. It is noted that Shoigu met with the commander of the group of these troops Yevgeny Nikiforov and set him the task of stopping the advance of Ukrainian troops at the front.
At the same time, according to ISW, Shoigu did not visit the headquarters of the Russian Armed Forces in Rostov-on-Don after the capture of the city by the “Wagnerites”, and did not contact the forces of the Russian Armed Forces in southern Ukraine after end of armed rebellion. .
Despite rumors about a change in the Russian military command (the governor of the Tula region, Alexei Dyumin, is said to be Shoigu), analysts believe that Putin will not turn around so quickly.
“It is not yet clear whether the Kremlin will replace Shoigu and Gerasimov, but it is unlikely that the Kremlin will immediately make such a radical change in command, because it would look like a concession to the demands of Prigozhin,” the ISW notes.
The PMC owner will be remembered Wagner Yevgeny Prigozhin accused the Russian army of a missile attack on his camp and announced that he intended to “confront” the leadership of the Russian Defense Ministry. To this end, he withdrew forces from the front and sent them into Russian territory. First, the “Wagnerites” went to Rostov-on-Don, and then to Voronezh. The militants intended to reach Moscow.
Prigozhin then said that PMC Wagner had returned its ranks and was returning to the field camps “according to plan.”
Source: korrespondent
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