“Senior business executives and government officials have watched with growing worry as players they once considered marginal like Yevgeny Prigozhin, known for his Wagner mercenary company and recruiting of prison inmates to fight in Ukraine, have become the public forces behind Vladimir Putin’s push to step up his increasingly all-encompassing war effort.
Prigozhin’s public calls for “urgent Stalinist repressions” against business tycoons who aren’t sufficiently enthusiastic about supporting the war effort have led some rich Russians to fear for their own safety and that of their families, they said. Prigozhin’s open attacks on top military commanders – some of whom have been subsequently removed – and the prominent Putin ally who is governor of St. Petersburg, have added to worry within the bureaucracy about the Kremlin’s unwillingness or inability to defend its own.”
Comment: IMO the wheels are coming off the baby carriage in Russia. The blatant indifference of Russian officers to the needs of their men and the widespread reports of the desertion by officers in command of their men on the battlefield set the stage for the rise of creatures like this Prigozhin. He reminds of Himmler who built an alternative structure of power in Nazi Germany. pl
Rise of Russia Hardliners Sows Fear In Putin’s Elite (msn.com)
I don’t read him quite that way. More a greedy businessman/mafioso hybrid who sees huge provisioning opportunities opening up due to the war. He sounds like he wants to scare others away the better to be chief contractor/quartermaster/provisioner.
Shoigu met with Surovikin and they agreed to withdraw troops from Kherson – the west bank, I’m guessing. That’s a big deal, no? Prighozim is quoted as being in agreement. (Essentially breaking news as I type). So there’s an instance of not opposing the military.
From ru press at 11:00 eastern time pasted below.
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https://life.ru/p/1537809
Shoigu ordered to begin the withdrawal of Russian troops across the Dnieper River
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, during a meeting with the commander of the Joint Group of Forces in the area of the special operation, General of the Army Sergei Surovikin, instructed to proceed with the withdrawal of troops of the RF Armed Forces across the Dnieper River.
“Start with the withdrawal of troops and take all measures to ensure the safe transfer of personnel, weapons and equipment across the Dnieper River,” the minister set the task.
It should be noted that Surovikin, during his report to the head of the Ministry of Defense, declared the expediency of organizing defense along the left bank of the Dnieper. According to the commander of the Northern Military District, the implementation of the plans of the Kyiv authorities to create a flood zone below the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station could lead to significant casualties among the civilian population. This also raises the threat of complete isolation of the Russian grouping of troops on the right bank of the river.
And earlier , Surovikin reported to Shoigu that the situation in the NVO zone was generally stabilized . He also added that the combat capabilities of the joint group and forces have increased significantly, the combat strength has been increased at the expense of those mobilized, and reserves have been created.
https://life.ru/p/1537816
Prigozhin called responsible Surovikin’s decision to withdraw troops beyond the Dnieper
Businessman and founder of Wagner PMC Yevgeny Prigozhin commented on the decision of the commander of the Joint Group of Forces in the area of the special operation, General of the Army Sergei Surovikin, to withdraw troops across the Dnieper River. His words are quoted by RIA Novosti.
So, according to Prigozhin, the withdrawal of troops with minimal losses is an achievement of the commander of the NMD, emphasizing the personal qualities of a military leader who “acted like a man who is not afraid of responsibility.” The businessman also called the decision of the commander of the NMD difficult.
“It is important not to agonize, not to fight in paranoia, but to draw conclusions and work on mistakes. And after that, understand who is right, who is to blame, and what is the essence of the problem,” Prigozhin emphasized.
The russians need to start thinking about the consequences of there smo and the possibility of terrorism in Russian cities for years to come if a satisfactory outcome of this conflict is not achieved.This point needs to be driven home on the Russian civilian population as they will be the one’s that will Pay the Price
Exactly! IF the Russians subdue Ukraine, forcing them to submit to Russian “superiority” what will they have gained. They will have 44MM untermensch on their border filled w/hate for the next 100 years. Blow up a police station here, a theater there, a bomb at a soccer match. All delivered w/infinite hate as payback for the lives the Russians murdered in ’22. This is victory? We’ve shown those Ukrainians who’s the boss! Sometimes you have to accept that when the girl says no she means no.